Kolkata high on ‘bleed blue’ night, restaurants make most of revelry
Times of India | 1 July 2024
KOLKATA: As skipper Rohit Sharma lay prostate on the turf, his face buried in the grass and his bulky frame shaking as he sobbed in relief and joy, cricket fans raised a toast to captain courageous and his Men in Blue across Kolkata’s bars, restaurants and nightclubs that throbbed with excitement and revelry till well beyond Saturday midnight. It turned out to be a perfect weekend night with thousands heading to party with friends and family even as they watched India play the final of a World Cup.A thrilling match with India coming out on top was the icing on the cake. And none could have asked for more, said revellers and restaurant-owners.
Almost all bars, restaurants and nightclubs remained packed from early evening till midnight. At Chapter 2 in south Kolkata, people queued up since 7 pm, said co-founder and owner Shiladitya Chaudhuri. “The excitement and the festive fervour were similar to the puja mood. People were dressed in blue jerseys and even carried players’ posters, giving the restaurant a stadium-feel. As the match went on, nerves remained taut and the reactions got progressively louder. As it headed to a close finish, the tension was evident and for a while it had seemed that the party would be spoiled. But thanks to Pandya, Bumrah and Sky, India made it and our patrons had a perfect night out with food and drinks even as they witnessed a memorable match,” added Chaudhuri.
Footfalls soared by at least 25%-30% across restaurants, according to Hotel and Restaurants’ Owners Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) president Sudesh Poddar. “The match was perfectly timed, got over at a decent hour — around 11.32 pm — and saw India winning a World Cup after 13 years. That apart, it was a see-saw battle that kept everyone at the edge of their seats for four hours at a stretch. We usually shut by 11.30 pm but on Saturday night we had to give in to our patrons’ demand and stay open till the match got over. All three of our restaurants remained fully occupied till midnight,” said Poddar, who owns Songhai. MS Bar & Lounge and Manthan in central Kolkata.
Nightclubs saw wild revelry till two in the morning. Cricket fans kept streaming into them even after the match got over. As Pandya snared Klaasen and Bumrah castled Jansen to virtually seal the deal for India, drinks and cheer flowed at a Park Street nightclub. “We had restricted entry to prevent overcrowding and ensure that all our visitors got to see the match uninterrupted. That’s exactly what happened but what a match it was. We had expected the footfalls to slow down after the match but it actually went up due to the revelry on the streets. Many walked in late for celebrations,” said the owner.
WhatsUp Café on Southern Avenue offered a free drink to everyone who wore an India jersey. “The crowd, the atmosphere and the match were unbelievable. It was a perfect mix of cricket and revelry and our sales jumped by at least 25%,” said owner Anirban Sengupta.
Park Street, Kolkata’s party zone, was taken over by revellers, who partied on the road till the early hours of Sunday. “It was like a New Year eve. We remained fully occupied till the end of match, though it was past closing time. But all remained rooted to seats till that last Pandya ball was bowled,” said Pratap Daryanani, owner of Oasis on Park Street.