About a decade ago, much before the expensive big stadium concerts became a rage, if a musician was important enough, they played at Blue Frog – once a one-stop shop to listen to good music amid some fantastic acoustics in Mumbai’s Lower Parel. While Hard Rock Cafe, too, existed, but Blue Frog was once considered, by the musicians as well as industry experts, as one of the most important music clubs in Mumbai and later Delhi. In fact, the moment the space croaked for the first time in Mumbai, in 2007, it was a lifeline for the music-starved. In Delhi, its counterpart at The Kila, opposite Qutub Minar in Mehrauli, was equally well-crafted as a venue. Even bigger in terms of space, it boasted of large mushroom heads hanging from the ceiling and pod seating. As for the music - from legendary English guitarist John McLaughlin, trance act Infected Mushroom, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Gotye and Indian guitar demigod Amyt Datta to sitar player Anoushka Shankar and tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain — Blue Frog played host to an array of interesting and important artistes. However, a curtain call for the club came in 2016 due to issues with the landlord. But the financials of Blue Frog Media, which was originally founded by Mathai, music composers Ashutosh Phatak and Dhruv Ghanekar, fund manager Simran Mulchandani and film producer Srila Chatterjee, also weakened after the Mumbai venue closed. Back then the company also comprised a recording studio, an independent record label and artiste management services. In 2020, it filed for bankruptcy followed by insolvency proceedings. A decade after it closed its doors, the Frog is leaping back and will be reopening in Mumbai. Mahesh Mathai, founder and owner of Blue Frog, confirmed its opening to The Indian Express. Mathai is being joined by Suresh and Karan Bhojwani of Bright Brothers Ltd and Jehan Johar, former Head of Electronic music, Blue Frog, as partners in the new project. The club will open its doors in March/April 2026 at Ballard Pier, which is set across seafront land and also features a new international cruise terminal. The area is being planned as a 24-hour space for entertainment, dining and cultural experiences. “It’s a beautiful place with a view of the sea. I can confirm that Blue Frog is opening,” said Mathai, who is likely to plan the club in other areas in the city. “Mumbai is changing. There are so many areas now. It’s not all about just Parel and BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex),” said Mathai, who revived the company in 2024. Ballard Estate is named after Colonel John Archibald Ballard, the first chairman of the Bombay Port Trust, which constructed the port and Ballard Pier, where, historically, many international travellers arrived. A planned space with European Renaissance-style building facades and Edwardian architecture, the Ballard Estate was built on reclaimed land and was once a prominent commercial district. It remains a luxury retail and art space and is a cultural landmark in Mumbai.
