Kochi wakes up to nightlife

Though Kochi has grown as a metro city in many ways, unlike other cities, nightlife is not very active here, as majority of the shops and malls close before midnight and due to various other reasons as well. Though people want to go out at night, they cannot find a suitable place to sit and talk. And the city is usually asleep by 10 pm.

However, the announcement of the ‘Nightlife Zone’ project by the corporation, which aims to change six select places in the city to nightlife hubs, seems to have stirred the urge of Kochiites to enjoy their night life. When the project was announced, there were many apprehensions about its acceptance by the people. To find out more, we talked to a few and the responses we got were great.

According to them, their lifestyles have changed and hence they want their city to adapt to it. “Our lives have become complex. After long hours of work in office, we hardly get time to relax and do some shopping. Hence if nightlife becomes possible, it will be a blessing for us,” says Sivaprasad, an IT professional.

According to Anna Eden, wife of Hibi Eden MLA, the city already has night life. “We have seen many families whenever we go out during the night. Everything is changing now. We won’t be able to restrict nightlife for a long time. Actually, we can wisely use this time to spend with our families,” says Anna, who is also a Law College student.

What made the corporation to come up with ‘Nightlife Zone’ project? Mayor Tony Chammany says, “We have realised people’s love for nightlife. We could see a lot of people spending time in malls after 9 pm. It is because of closing time restrictions they leave malls before midnight. We are not forcing anyone to be a part of it. Those who love it can participate. We are sure that people will come out, if provided with a platform.”

Broadway, Durbar Hall, Subhash Bose Park, Park Avenue, Foreshore Road and Marine Drive are the six selected nightlife hubs in the city. “They will be active from 9 pm to 1 am. Night life zones are relaxation joints and hence, we have chosen places that are close to water bodies. A few places such as Subhash Park will be limited to families. Security will be assured,” he adds.

Though vendors are doubtful about the future of the project, the public believe that the nightlife concept will change the face of the city. Actress Srinda, who hails from Kochi, welcomes the trend. “Let our city be full on. Though I am not a person who enjoys nightlife much, I believe that it is a good thing, especially during some emergency situations. Only thing is that we should tighten the security measures. I think, like Mumbai and Bengaluru, one day Kochi too will accept this trend.”

DJ-turned-actor Sekhar Menon, another celeb from Kochi believes that night life is possible in Kochi, though it will take some time. “I don’t know about the partying scene, otherwise, nightlife is accepted in Kochi. Broadway is a prime example,” he says. In his opinion, the concept of nightlife depends on each person. “For some, it may be shopping or dining out with family. But, for some, it will be partying. My nightlife belongs to the former category. And I don’t think security will be a problem. Our police force is very vigilant. Above all, we must take care of ourselves,” he adds.

However, before everyone accepts ‘Nightlife zone’ project, Sivaprasad points out one important thing to be remembered while implementing the project. “You cannot expect everyone to be a part of nightlife. Hence, the authorities should make sure that they reach the correct audience. And the locations are accessible to them. It would be great to conduct a research before finalising things,” he says.