Hitler-Themed Restaurant

If you are in the restaurant business, you are always on the lookout of the next ‘different’ theme that will attract people. Punit Sablok had a similar ‘brainwave’ when he decided to model his new restaurant in Khaghar, Navi Mumbai on Hitler (yup, there is just one in the world) [hat tip: Amol Sardesai]. Hitler’s Cross choses to stand out among other Mumbai restaurants by adorning its walls with a mass murderer. Sablok’s justification – “We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in people’s minds.”

The interior is done in the Nazi colors of red, white, and black with large sized Swastika symbols (not the traditional Indian ones) and a huge portrait of the Fuhrer. The actor, Murli Sharma called as a guest of honor to inaugurate the restuarant was amused by the theme but later admitted to having dozed off in his school history period and having lived in a cave since then.

Sablok stressed the ‘different’ factor just like every Bollywood director does before a new release. He thinks Hitler was hmmm…different. What does he think he was? Maggi ketchup? Different indeed. What’s next? Jack the Ripper fast food chain complete with strings of raw intestine or Saddam burgers. Sepia Mutiny’s comment thread is already abuzz with anger and sarcastic suggestions for the next restaurant theme.

Since the restaurant is in Khaghar, not too far from where my folks back home live, I am tempted to ask them to send me pictures so that I can rest all doubts regarding the existence of this place. But in a city where ignorance is rampant, I bet people will shrug their shoulders and say, so what? Then go right ahead and dig into their chicken kadai under the Nazi salute. Knowledge of German influence is restricted to the advertising slogan, Achtung Baby and the Max Mueller Bhavan. Heil Hitler! is a war cry that you can safely chant in India without anyone batting an eyelid.

Update#1: It seems that the Khaghar restaurant wasn’t the first one [via MeFi]. Korea has a 1939 Hitler Bar. Pictures below:

Hitler Bar

 

Hitler Bar

Cherry Creek, Colorado also has a eatery themed on yet another mass murderer, Mao [some of my Chinese friends might disagree]. A Taipei restaurant had a prison cell/concentration camp decor that they thankfully removed:

In one of the cells, a picture of the entrance to a concentration camp hangs on the wall. The words on a prison gate in the picture read “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work Brings Freedom,” the same sign that greeted Jewish prisoners who went to the camps during the World War II. Nearby is another picture of an emaciated concentration camp inmate who stands in the foreground, his ribs protruding, while others huddle on bunks behind him.

Would you like to eat in that booth?

Update#2: Via BD, I got this picture of Hitler’s Cross:

Hitler's Cross

hitler's cross Mumbai

“Hitler-Themed Restaurant” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=1611] was published Monday, August 21st, 2006 at 4:57 pm by Patrix, filed under India, Rants, Recommended, and tagged as , , . Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

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  • http://palscape.wordpress.com BongoPondit

    When I first read this, I thought it was an Onion style joke ! Can’t believe someone is bone(skin?)-headed enough to think up this one.

    Imagine the furore if someone in England opened up a Jalianwala Bagh restaurant.

  • http://www.theindicast.com Havoc

    Bongo,

    I think its cool… i mean lets stop being a pain in the ass and not get offended by the smallest thing in the world. so what if it is themed hitler…. its his idea, he wants to be different. and whats offensive in having a hitler themed restaurant. Jalianwala cant be compared to hitler.

    so just chill bongo

    Havoc

  • http://cgindia.blogspot.com/ Amit Dixit

    I find it pretty kool….BTW the Hitler symbol on table, not seems to be tilted….making it a Swastika symbol…I guess Bar owner didn’t want to share the same fate of Hitler :) …..Shub LAABH :pppPPP

    amit

  • http://nrambles.blogspot.com n

    reading the paper these days is pretty painful. Today alone, there are three articles referring to some sorta forced censorship — the cable tv block, this restaurant, another art exhibition.. and then afterthe gods drinking milk, a statue of mary that is ejecting perfumed oil.
    wtf.

  • Shodan

    Yeah Bongo. You need “chill”. Dawyer butchered just a few thousands at Jalianwala.
    It’s only when you operate at Der Fuhrer’s scale, you truely become “cool”.

    And while we’re at it, the Germans need to “chill” as well. Their “pain in the ass” law forbids the production of Nazi iconography.

    In other words, the geniuses behind “Hitler’s Cross” would be thrown in jail there.

  • http://www.vivalavi.wordpress.com Vi

    Oven-fried kosher, anyone?

  • http://jdv.blogspot.com :)

    People from Sub continent are not fully aware of the genocide. (Most of them are not aware at all). I dont see anything wrong with that. We cant call it ignorance.

    Hitler, atleast in Andhra is a synonym to “anger, strict, discipline” etc. There is even a movie titled Hitler by none other than Chiranjeevi himself. (And Chiranjeevi is not a bad guy in that movie).

    Forgive them. Lets move on. Whats cool is whats cool. As long as they are not preaching the jew agenda.

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Bongo, I agree! The Jallianwala Bagh theme would certainly put things in perspective to the ignorant ones.

    Havoc, I don’t think it is cool. If we demand respect from other cultures and nations, we ought to respect them. I don’t suppose you would approve of pictures of Ganpati on thongs or celebration of the British Raj as the only way to ‘discipline the Indians’, would you?

    Amit, the pictures are from the cafe in Korea not the one in India.

    Shodan    , it may not be illegal in India but it certainly is disrespectful.

    Vi, lets see if you find any takers for that.

    Smiley, I disagree. Ignorance cannot be an excuse for overlooking this attempt at stupid commercialization of a madman. I know that some people might even prefer a Hitler-like rule in India to discipline the public but trust me, we came close when Indira Gandhi imposed the emergency. The junta didn’t like that and I assume a ‘real’ Hitler would be hated as well.

    It certainly isn’t cool. The sab chalta hai attitude will not work in a globalized world. If we need people to respect us, we gotta give respect first.

  • http://www.theindicast.com Havoc

    Patrix, shodan etc: What I am sying is if you dont like it dont go there…. why talk about banning it altogether. let the market decide. I think we get offended very easily these days. We try to find controversy where ever we can. And how is it disrecpectful? Is the restaurant saying what he did was good? i dont think so so why read into things?

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Havoc, I don’t recall saying that I want it banned. I still want photos, remember? :)

    Regarding being disrespectful, I was just offering my opinion on the ignorance and hence lack of respect toward sentiments of others, more particularly Jews. Hitler is a known mass murderer and hated all around the world for causing the WWII. I think that is an obvious historical fact.

  • http://www.theindicast.com Havoc

    yes… agred .. will send photos if they let it run … times has a front page story about it. so dont know what’ll happen. Tell me one thing though. History channel always has progams on what hitler did and the concentration camps etc so how is that not disrectful and this is? I know i am strectching the histroy channel arguement but how come it is okay to talk/telecast on TV?

  • Shodan

    I wasn’t asking for a ban either. Merely pointing out the irony that the restaurant would be banned and the owners would’ve faced jail time in the birthplace of Nazism.

    Havoc, History channel deals w/ history (hence the name). They don’t sell reverse swastika t-shirts on their site. Hitler’s Cross is just pimping controversy to sell their product. Surely you see the difference?

    The cynical use of mass murderer for a marketing gimmic irritates me as a marketing professional and a human being.

    When I was discussing this issue w/ my Polish friend who grew up near Auschwitz, she just shook her head and said, “ Time and distance have a way of sweeping all ugliness under the carpet”.

  • http://www.theindicast.com Havoc

    so what do you want? apparently the consulate has gott’n involved now so something might happen…

  • Shodan

    so what do you want?
    A little introspection. Don’t believe in banning or any other tamasha.

    apparently the consulate has gott’n involved now so something might happen…
    I doubt if the Israeli Consulate has any clout w/ our government. Let’s see what happens.

  • Pingback: DesiPundit » Archives » Hitler’s Cross in Mumbai

  • Nicky

    This restaurant’s theme is repugnant to any decent person. And I see quite a few comments suggest a lot of you are moral midgets.

  • bloghopper
  • vasca

    well, I’m german and I can’t believe what’s happening down there in mumbai! when I only hear the name “hitler” i get sick, how can anyone go to a restaurant, enjoy eating, chat with friends, while seeing the signs and pictures of this terrible era? I don’t know if anyone of you ever saw photographs of survivers of a concentration camp, but if you did you would agree that this “marketing idea” is incredibly disrespectful against every jew and everyone else who suffered under the WW2 and the nazis.
    the restaurant is different, just like hitler was?????
    how can anyone want to be compared to him???
    i can’t find words for the consternation i fell reading about all this…

  • http://jdv.blogspot.com :)

    “I never wanted to hurt people’s feelings” . The owner of the restaurant is changing the name and dropping swastika out.

    Vasca: Not many people know about the holocaust in India. I think he must have been briefed about Hitler’s agenda. Its pretty good to see someone admitting their mistake and backing off.

    From the publicity point of view, he got a dream launch. (Any publicity is publicity) Hitler’s cross was in every news channel.

    Looks like everyone wants to cash Hitler.

    Some, by naming a restaurant after him.
    Others, by making a villain out of him.

  • vasca

    i can’t judge how many people in india know about the holocaust, but it looks like a marketing strategy. and this strategy does only work if the people are “familiar” with hitler. and i believe that the owner wanted the attention and he knew that he possibly would have to change the name. he wanted to shock for to get attention. and all this assumes that the majority of the citizens of mumbai must know about the holocaust.

  • Shodan

    Vasca,
    I am from Mumbai and have no time for people pretending to be ignorant of WWII.
    Anyone who has studied up to 8th grade and bothered to open history book should have a pretty good idea of Hitler’s atrocities.

    The owners used age old marketing trick. It worked with depressing predictability.


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