Bollywood night at Hangla

By Divya Thotawatte 

Creating a unique party destination for islanders who love hindi cinema and music, Hangla – The Ocean Lounge recently hosted its first Bollywood night– a glamorous, vibrant and loud affair that enjoyed significant success. 

The event was named ‘Tamasha’, after the Bollywood romantic comedy of the same name, inviting guests to wear dashing and flamboyant outfits to match the aesthetics of the night. Indulging Bollywood-lovers in the party of their dreams, ‘Tamasha’ not only achieved its aesthetics and culture through music, but through much attention to detail with the decor, performances, and even through waiters who wore turbans to complete the theme. 

‘Tamasha’ was organised by Hangla – The Ocean Lounge Director Risheek Banerjee who said, “I realised that Sri Lankans love Bollywood music. Every time a Bollywood song plays, they genuinely enjoy and dance to it. So I thought, ‘Sri Lankans love Bollywood music, so why not a Bollywood night?’ So that’s how the whole idea came into being. More importantly, I also wanted to show the meaning of elite partying and how safe and secure clubbing/partying is at Hangla. To allow parents and loved ones to not stress as Hangla makes everyone feel safe and isn’t dingy, dark and grimy as the typical club atmosphere.”

Achieving the sparkly aesthetics of Hindi cinema was difficult but passionate work, he explained. From the vibrant colour theme to dome-shaped lights and fairy lights on the pillars that lit up the elegant ocean-inspired space of Hangla, dance performances, a specially-featured DJ, and even a fake Shahrukh Khan to entertain guests, careful thought was put into crafting the perfect Bollywood night. To elevate the experience of the Bollywood cinephiles, posters of popular Bollywood films, from ‘PK’ and ‘Pathaan’ to ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gam’, were pasted on the glass panels of the restaurant. 

“Hangla itself is quite a good-looking place. But when you say the word ‘Bollywood’, people associate it with glitz and glamour. That’s an automatic thing in their head. You know, they think of red carpets, glamorous dresses, and they think of beautiful actors and actresses. Bollywood is a very glamorous topic and we wanted to somehow project and bring in that feeling. Along with the decorations, I made sure that all my servers and bartenders would wear a pagdi (turban). The vibe was set perfectly for a Bollywood night. It was breath taking to watch people enjoying and partying like they never had.” 

‘Tamasha’ was Hangla’s debut event, entirely organised by the team itself. It was a loud night of colour, music, good food and a lot of dancing. Guests partied indoors while others mingled, wined and dined in flashy clothes in the neon-lit outdoor area of Hangla. As expected, the food and drinks were exceptionally prepared and the waiters were kept quite busy serving a crowd parched with all the Bollywood dancing. 

‘Tamasha’s success points to a potential revolution of the Sri Lankan party scene, highlighting the demand and appreciation for an immersion of Bollywood culture in local clubbing. The Banerjees expect to explore further and cater to this demand more in the future. 

- Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi