There’s a Star in my Soup!

Actress Amisha Patel did not waste time with such details when she launched Fireplace, a cheap and cheerful kebab-and-curry eatery, at Lokhandwala, this summer. The food admittedly passed muster, but Patel created a buzz by inviting her glamourous colleagues to taste her wares. ‘‘The place is designed keeping the youth in mind,’’ says a thrilled Patel, referring to the interiors that flaunt her star status.

Sunil Shetty, on the other hand, was a restaurateur before he became a Bollywood star. His restaurant, Mischief Dining Bar (a sequel to his Bangkok rip-offs clothing store, Mischief), in South Mumbai, has always been a favourite haunt for Bollywood because of its proximity to Central Plaza theatre. And despite his stunning rise in Bollywood, even as a B-grade star, Shetty is a restaurateur first, and he has opened yet another dining room, Bawarchi, this time in Hyderabad.

But do patrons come hopefully seeking a brush with their favourite celebs? Is a mere endorsement by their favourite star enough or do they flock in for the food alone? A D Singh, of Bandra’s celeb haunt Olive, says a celebrity restaurant without his or her presence is a recipe for disaster. ‘‘A good product needs to be tied to the life of the star,’’ explains Singh. ‘‘Or it will go the way of Fashion Cafe, launched by mega-models Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Elle Macpherson, which went bankrupt in four years.’’

Sunil Shetty manages to put in an appearance at Mischief Bar at least once in 10 days. His favourite dish from his kitchen is Chicken Hari Mirch. ‘‘Our clientele is partisan towards the Chinese that we serve here,’’ says Vasant Shetty, a relative who manages the establishment.

According to Rahul Akerkar of Indigo, yet another Mumbai magnet eatery known as much for its cuisine as for its clientele, celebrity restaurants are an extension of the glamour image. ‘‘However,’’ adds Akrekar, ‘‘celebrities have to make sure that there’s a damn good entrepreneur running the restaurant to which they have lent their name. It’s not an easy game to run a restaurant.’’

Television chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, who is now endorsing Kolkata’s Grain Of Salt, nods vigorously in agreement. ‘‘A diner can be drawn once by the restaurant’s star appeal, but never again if the food and service are not up to mark,’’ he warns. Kapoor wonders aloud whether star promoters are prepared for the long haul. ‘‘Celebrities visit the restaurant when it’s packed, and not during a Monday lunch hour when it’s empty. They believe running a restaurant is easy business,’’ he sniffs.

Upcoming actor, Sharad Kapur, who recently launched the Chinese eatery, Destination, in Lokhandwala, is honest when he says he rarely finds time to visit his joint. ‘‘I love food and manage to cook well too, but my energy is focussed on acting,’’ he says, adding, ‘‘but I do agree that more than a star’s presence, quality of food is the bottomline for any restaurant to succeed.’’ Kapur’s ambitious plans to expand all over Mumbai may soon see the day, and he has already invested in Tangerine, an eatery in Kolkata which offers both Chinese and continental cuisine.

Kamal Khera, Patel’s partner at Fireplace actually underplays the star’s appeal in the restaurant trade when he says, ‘‘A celebrity tag only manages to attract the initial crowd. After the first visit, it’s the food that brings them back. Even the ambience and service are add-ons,’’ says a confident Khera. Fireplace regulars swear by its Dahi ka Kabab and Kheema Karela. The Black Currant Kulfi is a hit and Khera takes full credit for the eatery’s variety of kulfis, prepared by a a seasoned kulfiwala from Delhi, handpicked by Khera himself.

Television veejay Bhavna Pandey, who runs the Punjabi restaurant, Roti, with her actor-husband Chunky, brushes aside these easy generalisations. ‘‘There are two businesses that will never go down in India,’’ she says grandly, ‘‘food and toys, both of which will be needed all the time.’’ The more realistic would perhaps paraphrase Pandey’s statement. For, in these competitive times, entrepreneurs need all the help they can get to make their establishments stand apart, and a celebrity endorsement is surely a certified draw.

For others like disgraced cricketer Ajay Jadeja, pushed suddenly to the periphery of the celeb circus after a spate of match-fixing allegations, food could be a route back into the spotlight. Along with former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s grandson, Diwakar Shastri, Jadeja is behind New Delhi’s latest Italian joint, Senso. Early reviews may not exactly exult over the cuisine on offer in this new Vasant Vihar hub, but diners do not seem to be complaining. The now-retro Buddha Bar music and minimalistic interiors, promises of authentic Italian fare and, of course, the opportunity to exchange greetings with the once flannelled owner, seem to pull in the crowd. On the cards is an ambitious expansion, with Senso outlets envisioned in metros across the country.

Celeb restaurants is a business model that appears to have been adopted by the political class too. Sachin Pilot, son of the late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, may be a new entrant in the political fray, after he joined the Congress a few months ago, but Sachin and his sister Sarika, run the already bustling bar-cum-grill, Suede, in South Delhi. Sure, their late father, Rajesh Pilot, was considered one of Lutyen’s Delhi’s most gracious hosts, with his famous winter, farmer lunches, but why a restaurant? ‘‘Why not?’’ retorts Sarika. ‘‘It’s just an experiment.’’

It is an experiment that went drastically awry for former Mr India Aryan Vaid when his fledgling restaurant went bust within months of its launch. While it could be the diminishing value of his glitzy title or plain bad food, Vaid prefers to put it down to poor planning. ‘‘I don’t have the business acumen to make it big in the hospitality industry,’’ he shrugs without bitterness.

In the sea of celeb endorsements and merchandising, Vaid’s failure in the restaurant trade has barely blackened the proverbial pot. Instead, dozens of stars and starlets, cricketers and beauty queens clamour into kitchens to whip up a haute image and sweet profits.

(with inputs from Anoothi Vishal in New Delhi and Siva in Hyderabad)