Post-10 pm music ban hits nightlife hard in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The ban on pubs playing loud music after 10 pm has hit the city’s nightlife hard, their managements said. Patronage was down by 70 to 80 per cent since the ban, as many pub-goers preferred to stay at home.

Some pub owners and the managements association have approached the court against the ban.

Regular pub-goer Ajoy Thomas told Deccan Chronicle that partying at home was better than going to pubs with the restrictions in place. “Generally, going to pubs is one of the few fun activities we can do both during weekends and weekdays. Sometimes, we reach pubs around 10 pm and most pubs used to start playing upbeat music only after that time. The rule does not make sense. Nobody will be interested in going to pubs,” he said.

Ketan Agarwal, secretary of the Hyderabad Restro Lounges Association, said the drop in the number of customers had led to one of the worst phases for pubs in the city. He said business in many pubs were down by as much as 70 to 80 per cent.

The association has filed two appeals challenging the High Court's orders on stopping music at 10 pm. The managements of some other pubs have also filed implead petitions challenging the order.

A manager from a pub in Jubilee Hills said the number of customers was only one-fourth of what it was before the 10 pm cut-off on music, and even these patrons start leaving as soon as the music stopped. “This is happening in the peak season, from the second half of September till December,” he added.

The drop in business affects not just the owners but the staff too. Senior captain at 10 Downing Street, Srinivas Rao, said the lack of customers reduced the money they earned as tips. There was a fear that if the situation continued, their salaries might get delayed.