Revellers on rent

A groom is as good as his baraat. And in Ambala, you can customise yours

What do you do when friends who have promised to swing their limbs wildly to Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai ditch you, when relatives don8217;t turn up because of imagined slights or when there aren8217;t enough grey-haired uncles and aunties in your baraat? In Ambala, you go scouting for professionals8212;people who are paid to dance, eat, drink and make merry. And you find them at Lovely Food Plaza.

At first sight, the shop in the busy market area of Ambala cantonment looks nothing more than a snack bar. But the board reassures you: Yaahan par har kism ke baraati kiraye par milte hain. Says Bharat Bhushan, the owner of the shop, 8220;This is our oldest business. My father started it around 50 years ago. You do know that north Indians attach a status symbol to the size of the wedding party. If a groom8217;s family doesn8217;t arrive at the bride8217;s house with a sizeable entourage, it is considered that they aren8217;t well known or respected.8221;

The shop has around 250 members registered with it, who are dispatched to various weddings according to the need. There are the uncouth ones who get tipsy at the drop of a hat and then dance themselves to glory; there are suave ones who conduct themselves with Lucknowi decorum and charm the bride8217;s brood. There are youngsters who can be the groom8217;s brother or friend for a day and there are septuagenarians who get the roles of grandparents. And what of lovers who end up angering the clan with their choice? What if they need a baraat? 8220;We offer solutions to all such predicaments,8221; says Bhushan.

But why be a baraati for a day? 8220; I don8217;t do it for money. Nor do I do it for free food or drinks. Sometimes there is resentment in the families which might stop a couple from getting married. If a little acting from my side can get them together, I don8217;t see any harm,8221; says Harpreet name changed, a tailor.

Another pipes in, 8220;I am a student in the local college. It is an honour to participate in other people8217;s joy. I also get to travel to different cities, which I could have never done on my own.8221;

The business model is simple. Anyone interested can enrol himself with the proprietors of Lovely. There is a lifetime membership fee of Rs 500. 8220;It was Rs 100 till recently, but we have increased it to keep non-serious people at bay,8221; says the owner. Once a groom in need contacts them, the requirements are noted and people are sent accordingly. The price per head per day varies from Rs 200 to Rs 1,100. The educated and sophisticated ones charge more. 8220;These are not idle people. They have their regular jobs and view it as a sort of part-time profession. But our business seems to be doing well. We get orders from places as far as Jammu and Bangalore.8221;

The business has its highs and lows. For example the months of October, November, February, and March are peak times. Bookings are made well in advance. 8220;We don8217;t look at it as a frivolous exercise. Wedding is a sacred ceremony. We try to make a positive difference and increase happiness. In fact, many people who registered with us at the time of my father are still with us. Thirty years ago, they would play the friends of the groom. Today, they are happily playing grandfathers. I would say that we are the only people in the country to have such a business. The only authorised dealers!8221; says Bhushan.