The rise and fall and rise of Deepa Bar

The infamous Deepa Bar may be ready to chant Om, but residents are taking a wait-and-watch approach

Deepa Bar in Vile Parle (West) that has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons is finally treading its way to 'Nirvana'. Its past may have been a sordid one — shootouts, match-fixing, bookies and betting activities — but that won't stop the bar from becoming a hub for the city's yoga practitioners. The bar — spread over 8,000 sq ft — is all set to undergo a makeover. The inaugural puja of the upcoming yoga centre, the Varija Malappa Shetty Charitable Trust, was performed by none other than yoga guru, Baba Ramdev.

But people in the neighbourhood — residents and shopkeepers — are finding it difficult to reconcile themselves to the bar's drastic transformation from notoriety to sobriety. Sudhakar Shetty, the owner of Deepa Bar, says, "I was contemplating what to do with the place. It is one of my family's oldest properties, and my late father didn't want to sell it."

And then, Shetty had an epiphany: "I thought to myself, 'What could be better than using the place as a Yoga ashram, and catering to the medical needs of the poor?'."

Shop owners in the vicinity, too, don't know what to make of Shetty's decision. While some feel that the venture may garner nothing more than a lukewarm response owing to its past, others feel that its notoriety will attract eyeballs. Shop owner Vikas Parekh, says, "Though the history of the place may not be a hindrance, the location may be a problem with local bars and slums around." Others are of the opinion, that the whole thing is a gimmick. Dayanand S, the owner of a beauty parlour, adjacent to Deepa Bar, however, is more positive: "I will subscribe to the centre as it will be convenient for me."

Local MLA, Ashok Jadhav, is relieved, as he hopes the new avatar will lend the area a positive glow. "I have always felt awkward telling people that my office was next to Deepa Bar. But having a yoga centre as a landmark is a good thing," he says. He feels that the association will gain respectability because of its association with Baba Ramdev.
The yoga-practising residents of the area welcome the move. Bhavana Kapadia, a resident, says, "As Baba Ramdev is associated with the yoga centre we have full faith in it, otherwise people will think twice before joining it." And she intends to enroll once she's checked the facilities and the veracity of the trainers and teachers.

Dr Nisha Ghorecha, a local yoga instructor says, "The shady past of the place will be forgotten with the positive vibrations of yoga."

Shetty is planning a huge inaugural ceremony. "It's going to be a grand affair, and I'm planning to enlist the help of celebrities and important personalities," he says. And one person whom Shetty hints on inviting is the famous bar dancer, Tarannum Khan.
h_ansari@dnaindia.net