The middle-aged Marwari with a diamond-faced Rolex sips a large Antiquity and hands out a wad of crisp currency to the captain, who showers them onto a Shehnaz Treasurywala clone. Moments after the paper storm subsides, the guest discreetly motions for another trayfull.In Mumbai, even the seamy underbelly is flourishing. Here, at Night Lovers, things have never been better. The high-end dance bar, near the international airport in Andheri (E) has three plush new halls, service that would put luxury hotels to shame, and some of the most attractive women you otherwise never see working tirelessly to Sukhbir.It’s unlikely that anyone has been more indulgent than Abdul Telgi, who according to latest police reports spent up to Rs 10 lakh a night at South Mumbai’s upscale dance bars, and flung Rs 93 lakh on buxom Madhuri, a girl who took his fancy at Grant Road’s split-level Topaz, one of the city’s most infamous institutions.Yet, bar owners say the golden days of the mid-1990s — when business at Mumbai’s 950 or so dance bars peaked — are gone. ‘‘Business is booming for few top bars. The others barely manage to break even,’’ said an owner who did not wish to be named. Yet, it’s not that every patron coughs up big-time cash; anyone willing to pay Rs 375 for a bottle of domestic beer or a glass of Coke is welcome.‘‘It is the most secular place and you’ll see the taxi driver, stockbroker, engineer and chartered accountant all under one roof,’’ says director Madhur Bhandarkar who made Chandni Bar after spending six months researching all kinds, from seedy bars in Sion Koliwada to super-rich ones with VIP compartments like Carnival.Curious wives and girlfriends are new and not uncommon spectators. Wealthy young men are flocking to these spots too — dressed in loose athletic gear, the tips of their hair gelled.Dance bars are trying a variety of gimmicks to attract customers. Until a few months ago, Night Lovers had a special room devoted to Russian pole dancers who shook their hips to local tunes.And rules barring patrons from dancing with the girls are being loosened: if you flash enough money, you can join the pretty girls on the floor.‘‘I blow up about two grand every week, but I always keep myself in check,’’ said 25-year old Rafiq Sheikh, a shopowner and regular at Worli’s Carnival. ‘‘Regular nightclubs close at 1:30 am, so we often head here after that on a Saturday night because the party goes on till much later,’’ he said.It’s also becoming more acceptable for corporates to celebrate their victories over pints at these temples of titillation. ‘‘We come twice a week to dance and relax, nothing more,’’ said Sudhir, an advertising executive with a large midtown firm.And the suits are popular with the ladies, who crowd in front of them expectantly till selections are made. ‘‘It’s easier to flirt with them and they’re easier to control,’’ said the slender Lena of the blow-dried hair and orange choli. She’s been performing at Night Lovers for the past six months. Even business deals are being sealed on the premises, with overseas clients from every corner of the globe drinking and gyrating to Hindi remixes on the dance floor, often clumsily. ‘‘We’re doing lots of business together and come here to have some harmless fun,’’ smiled share broker Pradeep Bhavnani, who recently hosted a night filled with the ‘‘latest disco and dance’’ at an upscale suburban bar for a few Thai colleagues.But the whiff of sleaze is intact. Every bar is symbiotically linked with the local police (‘‘The income is shared 60-40 between each bar and police,’’ said one laconic officer). The bar owners are rarely seen.Not surprisingly, no one agreed to be interviewed for this story.
