Abstract
Some of the very first chemosensory mutants in Drosophila were generated in screens done in the 1970s at Obaid Siddiqi's lab in Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. This is a personal account of some of the early work with these mutants, which led to their physiological and molecular characterization. The author also touches upon the significance of these mutants for understanding subsequent work in Drosophila chemosensory biology.