It’s bad enough not being allowed into a club if you’re a solitary male. But things really start to rile when you find the rule doesn’t apply if you are a pale-skinned foreigner.
Guitarist with Delhi band MenWhoPause IP Patel couldn’t believe it when the club, Urban Pind, allowed expatriate ‘stags’ in while he was stopped at the door. “Different places have different rules for stags and we comply. But this was bizarre,” he says.
Kashif Farooq of Urban Pind has a different take. “Entry was granted because they were regulars. But honestly, foreigners know how to talk to or approach women. Indian men get drunk and start to misbehave”.
Businessman Rajat Raina says, “I can still understand if Indians aren’t allowed for an ‘expat-only’ night. But when these joints become popular as ‘expat addas’, we’re not treated right.”
Rummy Sharma of Kuki doesn’t agree. “Thursday is a rather slow night for us. So calling it an ‘expat night’ gets us more people.”
Penelope Spencer, an Australian events manager, however, finds the ‘expat night’ concept strange.
{{/usCountry}}Penelope Spencer, an Australian events manager, however, finds the ‘expat night’ concept strange.
{{/usCountry}}“Some of our friends are treated very weirdly at these ‘special nights’,” she says. “Recently, an NRI friend of mine came with us and was refused the ‘special package’ as she looked Indian.”
Tarina Shah of Elevate says it’s nothing to do with skin colour. “Sometimes we get foreigners who come shabbily dressed. They are turned down. The rules apply to everybody.” Now is that a fair comment? Or dark?