By Willie Gordon Suting
Mikado Lounge is one of the happening places in Police Bazar. With the club scene growing in Shillong, two sisters — Priyanka and Pooja Banerjee and their husbands Joydeep Dasgupta and Anupam Choudhury — founded the lounge in 2016.
A part of Hotel Pine Borough established in 1991 by Swadesh Banerjee, Mikado Lounge offers the best in entertainment and fine dining. The lounge with its purple, white and black wallpapers gives a warm and relaxing ambience. There is a performance area with a good viewing experience for the audience. Neat white chairs and glass tables welcome one to feel the vibe.
Mikado Lounge organises theme nights every week based on diverse genres and tastes. It caters to help young talents in the city and also invites artistes from outside to perform.
The Wednesday nights comprise diverse live acoustic music from local talents and established artistes. If one wants to sing along with friends to any tune, songstress Sarah Lee Nicholas hosts Karaoke Nights every Thursday night. A giant screen displaying words and lyrics as a song is played that helps the audience feel the music. From good old classics to current pop hits, the playlist caters to every mood.
The DJ Nights every Friday has had some of the biggest acts performed for the crowd.
Manchester United football club has a huge fan following in Shillong. The city’s supporters club teamed up with Mikado Lounge to organise match screenings of all Manchester United matches of the last season. This took place for nine months. The lounge witnessed group of friends and fans cheering aloud when the big stars scored goals. There was adrenalin, passion and energy throughout the season. The 2018 World Cup held in Russia was also screened in the lounge in its entirety. The final brought both joys and tears among the audience as France defeated Croatia.
Mikado Lounge is known to Shillongites as the first to introduce stand-up comedy. Taking note of the success of The Canvas Club in Mumbai, Mikado has had top comedians from Mumbai and Delhi performing on its stage.
Metal is looked down upon as a quaint subculture. But Mikado Lounge was the first to invite the community into the club scene of Shillong. Local death metal juggernaut Plague Throat celebrated its tenth anniversary on September 5 in the lounge. A jam packed audience of over 250 people let loose their hair as they headbanged enjoying the music.
For all other days, Mikado reserves for fine dine. Its Facebook and Instagram pages are filled with pictures of the performers and audience in joy and revelry.
Last Wednesday was also no exception as Johnny Marak sang beautiful covers of Bruno Mars, Bob Marley, Jason Mraz and Ed Sheeran. Bikash on the guitar and Daniel on percussion played with excellent dexterity.
Pooja Banerjee, speaking to Sunday Shillong, said the city has a very western feel. “Hence to cater to this and also help local talents, we ideated and curated these theme nights.”
Club culture is growing in Shillong where tourists, used to the night life outside, like to unwind in a good place. “We are putting our best effort at organising events that appeal to different tastes. These theme nights are targeted at people from all walks of life,” said Pooja.
Dasgupta agreed saying word has spread out and there has been very good response. When asked about competition from other clubs, he added, “There is healthy competition as every club has its own distinctiveness.”
The lounge also hosts private parties like birthdays and special celebrations. “Shillongites can come and experience the vibe. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” said Choudhury.