Poison, reloaded

Drive into Bandra and you are sure to find streets laden with night clubs and lounges by the dozen. But what makes Poison stand out is its spacious interior, which have been its USP all along.

Post renovation, the club seems to be adhering to the divide-and-rule policy 8212; the regulars and VIPs can party in their designated spaces

Drive into Bandra and you are sure to find streets laden with night clubs and lounges by the dozen. But what makes Poison stand out is its spacious interior, which have been its USP all along. When Poison first opened two years ago, it had all the pre-requisites of becoming a super club in Mumbai8212;the location and the DJ acts were tops 8212; but the set-up looked in desperate need of a makeover. Unlike most clubs in the city that have focused on the interiors, introduction of new menus and special treatment for guests, this one was happy having a huge dance floor for its guests.

It was in September 2008 that Poison owners, Dilip Doshi and DJ Aqeel, felt the need to down the shutters and reinvent the club. Some patrons thought the space had been bought by a restaurateur, and that their favourite weekend spot would never open again. But when it opened to public two weeks ago, the regulars were pleasantly surprised by its metamorphosis.

The dance floor has been downsized, but the sound system has definitely been upgraded. The installation of more LED screens for the visual jockey lends to the fifth sense. DJ Aqeel continues to be the star attraction and resident DJs, Lloyd and Sunny, who8217;ll take over the console in his absence, look promising. But given these names, the kind of music played on the night we visited left us rather confused. The club, known for its international DJ acts, grooving to the tunes of Lazy Lamhe and Mauja hi Mauja felt rather out of place.

But on the brighter side, it looks like the club has paid extra attention to the needs of its clients and is making an effort to make it more exclusive. With whitewashed walls and ceilings, the club is now divided into four zones8212;a dance floor for regulars, a VIP area for members who are willing to cough up a cover charge of Rs 5,000 per couple, a smoking zone called Poison Future and a by-invitation-only VIP room called Poison Platinum. Owing to the smoking ban in the city, the smoker8217;s room is already a big hit with the patrons. The policy of having to leave your drink outside Poison Platinum prevents it from being an all-rounder.

Bearing the ultra-rich Bandra and Juhu crowd in mind who love to party with their own clique, the club has introduced two glass-enclosed dining sections facing the DJ console. An evening in this enclosure could have you loosen your purse strings by Rs 40,000 to Rs 90,000.

There are certain things that remain unchanged at Poison. No shorts, churidar kurtas and saris 8212; the dress code has to be strictly adhered to if you wish to enter. Stag entries aren8217;t encouraged either. The alcohol menu too remains the same, save a few more international brands of wine, vodka and rum.

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Poison seems to have done most things right, but only time will tell if the exclusivity tag is going to be a crowd-puller or a crowd-chaser.