Flashback

Alyque Padamsee,the theatre figure was a regular at the nightclub run by Chotu and Sabira Merchant,and says that it “managed to create a special comradeship; it was a club of people who got to know each other and enjoyed each others’ company”. He adds that “it wasn’t just a disco; we used to have play readings at about 7 pm before the disco opened at 9.30 pm”.

It is this atmosphere that partly inspired Zenzi Mills,Lower Parel,to host a tribute to the nightclub in the form of an exhibition of photos and newspaper clippings of Studio 29,which will be on till Saturday. Further,they are hosting a tribute party tonight featuring an ’80s theme,regulars from Studio 29 and Jo Azaredo,Studio 29’s original resident DJ.

“I see a lot of similarities between Zenzi and Studio 29; both want to showcase art,music and what’s new and interesting,” says Emiliano Collazo,general manager of Zenzi in Bandra and Zenzi Mills. Collazo says that being part of the industry means that he is always interested to learn about different hotspots and trendsetters. When he could not dig up much information about Studio 29 from the internet,he contacted Sabira Merchant and was fascinated to learn that “they used to host fashion shows,plays and even new kinds of dance like jazz ballet; it was very cutting edge”.

Asked about the difference between Zenzi and Studio 29,Collazo says that the latter was certainly more exclusive as a reflection of the times. “In those days,one had to restrict entry,because it wasn’t as acceptable to walk around in a skirt or be an independent woman. Zenzi is very open and casual; we don’t treat anyone like a VIP.” Given that Zenzi is more likely to be associated with trendy music,we pointed out that perhaps retro music was a bit cheesy. Collazo agreed,saying “we had to do something about that so Azaredo took the original play list,reworked it,re-mastered it,so it sounds more ‘Zenzi’.”