Mumbai cafe manager had no clue he was serving Nolan, 'Spider-Man'; googled later
Tom Holland, Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan stopped at Mumbai's Olympia Coffee House before The Odyssey premiere. After the brief chai break went viral, the cafe manager said he recognised Holland only after Googling him.
The manager of Mumbai’s 108-year-old Olympia Coffee House, Inayat Maredia, said in a recent interview that he did not realise he had just served actor Tom Holland until after the actor left the caf. Maredia later searched online and found that one of the guests who had stopped by for chai and bun maska before The Odyssey’s Mumbai premiere was the actor known to many as Spider-Man.
The brief visit by Holland, actor Matt Damon and filmmaker Christopher Nolan quickly became one of the most discussed moments of the film’s Mumbai tour after photographs surfaced online.
The trio stopped at the Colaba caf for around 10 to 15 minutes before the premiere. Maredia said the staff had no idea at first who the visitors were, even though members of their team had been waiting outside since the afternoon. What began as a quiet tea break soon drew attention as crowds gathered outside, with bodyguards and police also at the spot.
According to HT City, Maredia said, "Unn teenon ke guests jo the, voh pehle 2:30 baje naashte ke liye aaye, uske baad se voh khade the baahar hi cafe ke. Humko toh pata bhi nahi tha ki jinki voh wait kar rahe hain, voh itne bade hain. Baad mein jab Google kiya toh maloom padha ki Tom Spider Man wale actor hain (Their team members had arrived around 2:30 pm and had been waiting outside the cafe since then. We had no idea that the people they were waiting for were such big personalities. Later, when we searched online, we realised that Tom was the actor who plays Spider-Man)."
Maredia said Nolan, Holland and Damon reached the caf at around 6 pm. He added, "“The three of them came in, had chai and bun maska, and kept it to very light snacks. They didn’t stay for long because a huge crowd started gathering. Their bodyguards and the police were there as well. They were at the cafe for no more than 10 to 15 minutes.”
Photos from the stop
Universal Pictures India also shared snippets from the visit before the Mumbai premiere. The post read, “Quick tea stop before The Odyssey Mumbai Premiere. A Big night awaits, but chai comes first! #OdysseyMumbaiPremiere (sic).” The images and videos showed the trio having chai, bun maska and a few desserts, while others at the caf were seen taking photographs.
Later, Nolan attended the film’s Mumbai red-carpet premiere with Damon and Holland, while producer Emma Thomas also joined them.
Why Mumbai was on the tour
At a press conference in Mumbai, Nolan said the city was an important stop on the film’s international promotional campaign and that the visit had been planned for years. He recalled an earlier trip to the city for a conference on the future of cinema at the invitation of his friend Shivendra, where he met filmmakers and learnt more about the film culture here.
Nolan said, “I’ve never been anywhere in the world with an appreciation of what movies can be and what they should be for audiences.” He added that he had also planned to visit during the release of Tenet, which was partly shot in Mumbai, but those plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the film
The Odyssey, based on Homer’s epic poem, is co-produced by Nolan and Thomas and also features Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez and Mia Goth.
Nolan and Thomas last worked together on Oppenheimer, which grossed 958.8 million dollars worldwide and won seven Academy Awards from 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The Odyssey is also set to become the first narrative feature to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras. Tickets for select 70mm screenings were released a year in advance in July 2025, and the film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on July 17.
The manager of Mumbai’s 108-year-old Olympia Coffee House, Inayat Maredia, said in a recent interview that he did not realise he had just served actor Tom Holland until after the actor left the caf. Maredia later searched online and found that one of the guests who had stopped by for chai and bun maska before The Odyssey’s Mumbai premiere was the actor known to many as Spider-Man.
The brief visit by Holland, actor Matt Damon and filmmaker Christopher Nolan quickly became one of the most discussed moments of the film’s Mumbai tour after photographs surfaced online.
The trio stopped at the Colaba caf for around 10 to 15 minutes before the premiere. Maredia said the staff had no idea at first who the visitors were, even though members of their team had been waiting outside since the afternoon. What began as a quiet tea break soon drew attention as crowds gathered outside, with bodyguards and police also at the spot.
According to HT City, Maredia said, "Unn teenon ke guests jo the, voh pehle 2:30 baje naashte ke liye aaye, uske baad se voh khade the baahar hi cafe ke. Humko toh pata bhi nahi tha ki jinki voh wait kar rahe hain, voh itne bade hain. Baad mein jab Google kiya toh maloom padha ki Tom Spider Man wale actor hain (Their team members had arrived around 2:30 pm and had been waiting outside the cafe since then. We had no idea that the people they were waiting for were such big personalities. Later, when we searched online, we realised that Tom was the actor who plays Spider-Man)."
Maredia said Nolan, Holland and Damon reached the caf at around 6 pm. He added, "“The three of them came in, had chai and bun maska, and kept it to very light snacks. They didn’t stay for long because a huge crowd started gathering. Their bodyguards and the police were there as well. They were at the cafe for no more than 10 to 15 minutes.”
Photos from the stop
Universal Pictures India also shared snippets from the visit before the Mumbai premiere. The post read, “Quick tea stop before The Odyssey Mumbai Premiere. A Big night awaits, but chai comes first! #OdysseyMumbaiPremiere (sic).” The images and videos showed the trio having chai, bun maska and a few desserts, while others at the caf were seen taking photographs.
Later, Nolan attended the film’s Mumbai red-carpet premiere with Damon and Holland, while producer Emma Thomas also joined them.
Why Mumbai was on the tour
At a press conference in Mumbai, Nolan said the city was an important stop on the film’s international promotional campaign and that the visit had been planned for years. He recalled an earlier trip to the city for a conference on the future of cinema at the invitation of his friend Shivendra, where he met filmmakers and learnt more about the film culture here.
Nolan said, “I’ve never been anywhere in the world with an appreciation of what movies can be and what they should be for audiences.” He added that he had also planned to visit during the release of Tenet, which was partly shot in Mumbai, but those plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the film
The Odyssey, based on Homer’s epic poem, is co-produced by Nolan and Thomas and also features Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez and Mia Goth.
Nolan and Thomas last worked together on Oppenheimer, which grossed 958.8 million dollars worldwide and won seven Academy Awards from 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The Odyssey is also set to become the first narrative feature to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras. Tickets for select 70mm screenings were released a year in advance in July 2025, and the film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on July 17.
