For those who are city born and those who and those who have left their small towns for the big cities, small town India is still a slow, un progressive sight that lacks opportunity. Perhaps it is the baggage of the past or are they just not recognizing their hometowns in its improvised avatar.
It might not have the dreams and colours of Bombay or the modern city skyline but the energy, inventiveness and remix nature of middle India is definitely something to contend with.
To discover the pulse of this observe-modify-adopt culture, we set out for Kanpur – the emblem of a small city, a historical industrial town of the north, it is quickly also becoming a hub for popular artists, DJ’s and a burgeoning entertainment culture.
Reverse Migration
Shagun Malhotra, Jagpreet Singh and DJ Harsh are amongst the growing set of influencers that are making nightlife and entertainment in Kanpur progressive with the introduction of new concepts and experiences.
These are youth who, as has been the norm, left their sleepy small town to pursue their ambitions in the big city. Today, they are choosing to return to Kanpur to take advantage of the exploding opportunities in middle India.
The nightlife and entertainment circuit in Kanpur has been fairly closed and elitist, a consequence of affordability. But today, this youth returning to the heartland are breaking the barriers of privilege to open up Kanpur to newer influences and exposing them to entertainment options that people would once have to go to Delhi for. This is their way of adding back to their hometown.
Shagun Malhotra returned to set up Dhuaan, Kanpur’s first Mediterranean restaurant. She was going to train Kanpur’s senses with a new cuisine, a new genre of music and the town’s first hookah bar.
“I wanted to create a space that would be a new experience for people – no one here knew what Mediterranean food is or house music! When I first opened Dhuaan, people kept asking my staff to turn the music down or change it from the lounge music but I gave strict orders not to change it upon any request” – Shagun Malhotra
She pushed the experience further when she flew down an international female DJ to play at a party in Dhuaan. The success of that night was another clue for her that Kanpur was thirsty for fresher ideas of partying.
DJ Harsh of the oldest nightclub in Kanpur, Felix, reminisces about how when he first started playing, people asked him to play Bollywood while he played house. Today, he is known as the Remix King – he has created a whole new genre in Kanpur with ‘BollyHouse Music’. His latest endeavour however, is to change the music scene in Kanpur with ‘EDM’, even if it means spelling out ‘Electronic Dance Music’. On the Saturday night when we met him, he had a guest DJ to promote EDM music in Kanpur. His role in the Kanpur party circuit is influencing the people of Kanpur up with new sounds.
“First I had to make people listen to house when they wanted retro Bollywod. Now, I want people to know yeh EDM kya hota hain, only if they get to hear it can they like it and accept it so I keep getting special guest DJ’s to come play at my club. Kanpur is ready for EDM, they just need to hear it” – DJ Harsh Bhutani
An event organizer, Jagpreet, organized Kanpur’s first Sunburn Festival, a electronic music festival with artists from all over. He said “the crowd must have come expected Sheila Ki Jawani but they left having enjoyed the experience and knowing a new sound”.
The crowd was bubbling with 15 – 22yrs who were up lip syncing, they are the ones who are online, discovering and downloading this music. The rest of the crowd was there learning about not just a genre of music but also the idea of a music festival and the experience of live entertainment.
While there is a growing appetite to consume new content, there needs to be a balance of how it is consumed. Organizing one time experiences like EDM night at a nightclub, or a female DJ spinning, give them a taste of the new, making it easier to consume and accept for middle India. Versus, a contrasting large scale event like Sunburn, was a financial failure and hints at how much or the limits of what middle India is willing to take in at one time.
Daylight Seductions
Kanpur’s youth have improvised the idea of partying to create a sub culture that transcends time and location. These are often 18 – 25yr olds who want to experience the night but are limited by parental sanctions. One of the ways in which they are bypassing the taboo and judgement of going out at night, is by recreating the nightlife during the day. This legitimizes an experience that is otherwise prohibited and creates a new space for partying and entertainment.
Youth in Kanpur are recreating the night. The organizers call it the 3 – 7pm party slot. There begins to exists an alternate universe where the day turns into night behind the doors of the club. It is one of their most popular offering, allowing teenagers and young adults to negotiate deadlines, be at a party with boys and even the occasional consumption of alcohol.
“On Valentines day we book two slots one evening and one night. The evening slot is 15yrs+ so the teenagers who don’t have permission to go out at night celebrate it at our club between 3 – 7pm. Kuch farak nahi hain bas bahar din hain. We serve alcohol to 18+ yrs and today even the ladies are drinking – vodka, breezers aur aaj kal tequila shots bhi bahut hote hain” – Mr. Daniel, Cawnpore Club
With strobe lights, short black dresses and a DJ spinning a mix of Bollywood item numbers and Enrique, you feel transported into the night.
One of the latest attractions in Kanpur is where the Café meets Nightclub to create new spaces for small town youth that bypasses the sanctions of the after hours.
“We needed more things to go out and do here – why walk around a mall for entertainment when you can go bowling? In the evening we pump up the music with the latest hip hop and dance mixes from international charts to really change the vibe for Kanpur”
With Kanpur’s first Bowling alley, Foosball table and virtual games besides the regular leisure games like pool and darts, Xoomba is the next level of entertainment in small town India.
Homegrown Partying
The idea of partying doesn’t start and stop at drinking, dancing and music. It can be over chai and samosa or chaat and chilling while they talk about the last class, latest movie or a friend’s upcoming birthday. It might even be listening to Atif Aslam all night and jamming with guitars, making music. It captures a need for unique social experiences bringing a breadth to the meaning of partying across value systems.
The food courts in malls are creating neutral party zones. They have captured an idea that is against the stereotypical grain of hiding boy – girl relationships unless you were married. This is where the youth of small town India is most comfortable interacting with the opposite sex. It is where hanging out with the boys is seen as harmless as opposed to other open public spaces (mother’s always tell their daughters not to hang out in parks and at dams with boys or go on bike rides with them).
“Ek bada ice cream from Baskins or a Dominoes Pizza and we can sit here all evening – party kar di hamne friends ke saath, college bunk kiya, bahaar chale gaye”
This idea of partying is homegrown, not borrowed. It is rooted in the social change between men and women that is fast emerging in middle India. They are not aping the city but finding the balance between tradition and modernity as their values evolve.
Another improvisation of the idea of partying is a concept particularly popular with the young bachelors, the ‘Car – o – bar’ party. This idea of hanging out in public places with a few drinks is a luxury of small town India. The freedom of driving around and finding open spaces to make your own party. It’s the same people, the same music and sometimes at a better more scenic venue as opposed to a crowded club.
“Agar paise nahi kharachna ho ya entry nahi hoti disco mein toh ho jaata hain car – o – bar!” – Sahil Gupta
This fluid style of partying involves listening to Atif Aslam, Sonu Nigam, Yo Yo Honey Singh and other Bollywood hits. Usually over beer or Royal Stag and chakna.
The Counter Culture Hero
At a hookah bar creatively named ‘Hucka’, Karan, flanked by Tanya & Yasha, is celebrating his 26th birthday with his chaddi buddies and his older brother and sister in law visiting from Bombay. Make no mistake, the girls are there for him and he is unabashedly flirting with them. His unapologetic attitude with his brother and sister in law at his birthday celebrations is a reflection of a new comfort in his relationships. The biggest proof of this was piped with icing across his birthday cake – Happy Birthday ‘Generous Lady Killer’ Karan.
By day, Karan uses this charm on the job as an assistant manager for Kotak Mahindra Bank, managing customers and making an impression with his bosses. He is making his modernity with his confident swagger whether at work or in front of family.
Karan is the home bred hero with a sense of entitlement to public spaces (he was a regular at this hookah place) and modernity’s pleasures – aviator sunglasses, fast bikes, smartphones, almost inspired by a Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Gangs of Wasseypur except at a bowling alley in Kanpur not a back alley shooting guns.
While the nightclubs play Bollywood hits or remixes, this middle India frequented hookah bar plays English Billboard hits. Enrique, Pitbull and Aviicii blasted through the speakers. The ambience set the mood with the hookah as Karan blew smoke rings for the camera. The girls lip synched to Enrique rattling off the latest billboard hits they had downloaded. Karan’s final gesture of the evening was subtly settling our bill with the waiter after all, his profile picture on Facebook said ‘Born Star’ and he behaved like one.
Small Town India Big Themed Parties
A night at Kanpur’s best nightclubs will have you wondering if you’re suddenly in a metro. Felix in Kanpur is similar to Hype in Bombay and FTV in Delhi. Dhaaun lives up to the origin of it’s cuisine with a white washed Mediterranean look to the restaurant. The Waterside/The Deck at the Landmark hotel is akin to the pool side at the Taj President in Bombay or any other city 5 star pool side and a contrast to what is beyond the walls of the property. The ambience, music, food and themes in the party and entertainment circuit of Kanpur is proof the big ambitions of small town India
There is a sense of pride in Kanpur, they are not pejorative towards small town India anymore. As Jagpreet Singh, Organizer of Sunburn expressed, “In Kanpur today there is everything, our oldest club Felix matches international standards, we have a Sports Café Xoomba, there are newer experiences we are offering in Kanpur today”
Even though there are limited avenues of entertainment in Kanpur, the influencers are making it large with themes. Organizers are hosting Halloween parties, hippie themed, rock n roll party, truth or date party and even the outrageous ‘cat fight themed’ bash. Last year saw Dhuaan hosting and ‘End of the world’ party, staying topical with the what’s happening globally.
Daniel, Manager of Cawnpore Club said “Today we organize many theme parties, people see on the net and ask us if we are holding a Halloween party. It gives some variety to the nightlife in Kanpur – otherwise it’s the same place, same people.”