For a nightclub that turned 10 a few days ago, Dublin looks remarkably young and happening. Ahead of another busy week, we step into India’s third largest nightclub for a glimpse of what goes on before the music gets heady, the crowds swarm in and the drinks are free flowing.
You might think that glasses being wiped, cocktail garnishes readied and a double check on the alcohol stock are all synchronised a few hours before opening time. But no matter how easy it looks, it’s all in the planning, reveals Japtej Ahluwalia, manager of the swanky discotheque. “We have about 600 people coming in on Saturdays, so our bar is stocked every week,” he tells us. “Running out of beer just isn’t an option in this business.”
Head bartender Mukil Vannan is behind the counter as early as 4 pm and after the new pub timings rule — on his feet till 2 am. After a decade of customers and rush hour drinks, you would think that the man would be exhausted. “Between two of us behind the bar, we serve close to 1,600 drinks a night,” he admits. “But I love it,” he beams with a wide smile.
Although the crowds were different a decade ago, when Mukil began as a service associate, he insists the service provided is just the same. Best part of the job? “I don’t have to travel anywhere to meet celebrities and actors from around the country,” he grins. “They all come to me.” IPL after-match parties are his favourite.
With dual levels for dancing or sipping on a martini at a table with friends, this disco destination retains its charm even as electronic beats replace good old retro and the novelty of a ‘night out’ is tagged commonplace. Fashion choreographer and designer Karun Raman, one of the early regulars of Dublin, recalls, “I remember the first time I walked in. I was just WOW.” It isn’t hard to imagine the reaction, considering the space dimensions in Dublin are resemblant of those you catch a glimpse of in the movies. Karun adds, matter-of-fact, “It’s also one of the few clubs where I see the best-dressed people.”
Guests still have fond memories of the Sheraton dancefloor that existed before the nightclub opened its wood-and-chrome doors to the public in 2002. “We used to be regulars at the coffee shop in the hotel which had a dance floor on weekends. After Dublin opened, it was an amazing transition,” remembers socialite Vidya Singh.
Where many of Dublin’s compatriot clubs have shut down, they have survived because of their mix of innovation with tradition. “We still are vert strict with the timings and the no-stags rule, but we don’t mind allowing the DJ to play Tamil tracks towards the end of the night,” concludes Japtej. Resident DJ Rudy adds to this, “Whenever I feel the pulse of the crowd is missing something old, I’ll slip in some retro.” He goes on, “Whatever the genre of the night, you know that when someone’s humming a tune they heard, as leave for home — they’re happy.”
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