sk people who were born before the turn of the century about Priya and Anupam markets. Their smile will speak for them.
Basant Lok market, popularly called Priyas, and Anupam market were named after the PVR theatres housed here. Around these, posh eateries and branded showrooms co-existed with roadside snack stalls and juice wallahs .
Come weekend and Delhiites would throng these markets, but no longer. “Priyas had everything — showrooms, paan shops, movie theatre, liquor store, gym, travel agency, salons, cafes and lounges,” says Rajitha Kutty, who has been living in Vasant Vihar since 1991.
Incidentally, the first McDonald’s in India and the first outlet to set up shop in October 1996.
Vasant Kunj resident Kanchan Dahiya remembers walking down to Priyas for an after-dinner ice cream.
Then something changed.
DLF Emporio came up in Vasant Kunj along with Promenade and Ambience malls. Meanwhile, Select CityWalk, DLF Place and MGF Metropolitan came up in Saket.
The Nirulas joint in Vasant Vihar pulled out, as did Turquoise Cottage, TGI Fridays, Choko La and Punjabi by Nature. They all shifted to Promenade and Ambience malls.
“I used to go for walks with my grandfather and end up at Priyas for the Nirulas’ hot chocolate fudge. I was heartbroken when it shut down,” said Ms. Kutty. According to Nirulas CEO Amit Chadha: “We moved out later, after the other brands. But we had to leave as the complex had become commercially unviable.”
Meanwhile, Ruby Tuesday, Azzurro and Buzz walked out of Anupam.
Most local vendors at these markets feel the “high-class crowd” has been hijacked. Babloo, who has been running a paan shop in the Anupam complex for the last seven years, said: “Families don’t want to come here anymore. Even if they come, it is just for the movie. There are hardly any restaurants and parking is an issue.”
Bhim Singh, who owns a book stall in Anupam and has been here since the last 12 years, said: “People no longer want to come here and fight for parking space or encounter eunuchs.”
But what is making these markets die a slow death? Is it the malls, bad infrastructure, or a deadly cocktail of both? “The pavements in these markets are broken, there are no street lights. Despite the malls, Khan market has not lost its appeal,” Ms. Dahiya said.
“To top it, the malls provide enough parking space,” says Palak Chugh, a resident of Vasant Kunj. Popular pubs like RPM and Bacchus in Vasant Vihar and Zook in Anupam see little crowd now.
“As shady as RPM was, I used to take that for a lounge in my college days,” says Prateek Kukreja, an employee of Snapdeal. Some people feel that these pubs, with cheap liquor to offer, may have added to the decline.
When asked what these markets need in order to be revived, cleanliness topped the chart. “Hemant Aggarwal, who has been selling shoes for a decade, says, “From chemists to grocery stores — people want everything in the same place. Further, with offices taking up space and the rent shooting up, the place has died out.”
“While the deadline for us to close shop is 11 pm, the last movie show gets over at around 1 am. We should be allowed to stay on longer,” he added.
The stray animals sauntering around add to the problem. “Remove the cows! These places need to be maintained,” Ms. Kutty added.
“I miss the open space. I hope once the infrastructure is revived people come back,” says Rohit Kashyap, a social activist and entrepreneur who has been in Delhi since 1989.
Aakansha, a resident of Saket, added, “This market was a nice place to hang out. Now, the crowd has deteriorated. The malls are 10 minutes away with so many more options.”
True, the malls have a lot to flaunt , have the best of brands and finest of dining experiences and a more “comfortable” ambience to offer, but these markets were among the first to introduce the city to an international flavour. They deserve a second chance, as a city we owe it to them.
The malls have hijacked the ‘high-class crowd’. Families don’t want to come here anymore
