In the name of Salman

Bhaijaanz is a restaurant in Mumbai themed around the Bollywood actor and started by a quintet of his diehard fans

Even before its official launch, a restaurant in the leafy inner lanes of Carter Road in Bandra in Mumbai has become something of a landmark. While the name of the building, White Rose, rings few bells in the Rizvi Complex, a mention of Bhaijaanz that is located on its ground floor elicits knowing nods. Rahul Kanal, co-founder of the eatery named after one of the country's most popular film stars, puts it all down to "Salman Khan's aura".

This aura, he says, is what has filled the tables post-lunch on a Monday, brought in visitors from Gujarat and Haryana, and given the establishment 3,570 likes on Facebook. Of course, the fact that Bhaijaanz is located close to a college must have had a role to play. Kanal and four of his friends - Tabrez Shaikh, Sohail Siddique, Kursheed Khan and Zafar Sayed Yusuf -began toying with the idea about a month ago. The theme would be Salman Khan, of course, because the boys who grew up in the actor's neighbourhood and attended the same school, St Stanislaus in Bandra, are self-confessed fans.

Although Google Maps throws up half a dozen establishments named after "Bhaijaan", including a tailoring shop and an electronics store, the restaurant seems to be the first concept built entirely around the actor. The space, which earlier housed a French bakery called Marie Antoinette, is not very large but its open-air area allows for a relaxed look. "Swagat nahi karoge hamara?" asks a board at the entrance. Such inexplicably popular punchlines from Salman's movies line the walls. The menu pays its tribute too, with egg dishes listed under Anda Apna Apna, sandwiches under Salaam-e-Sandwich and staples like bread and rice labelled Most Wanted.

With offerings ranging from Indian and Chinese to Mughlai and Italian, the menu is a mishmash, much like Bollywood masala flicks. But it is an ode to the actor's universal appeal, says Shaikh who is also the head chef. Shaikh worked with Radisson Blu in London earlier. The dishes are tasty, though not particularly remarkable. The dum murgh biryani, rather too heavy on mint leaves and relatively low on fire, is a letdown. The vegetables and pasta in basil pesto sauce prove better flavoured despite the thick, yoghurt-like texture of its base.

Salman Khan’s posters adorn the walls

  The owners chuckle about a call from a Dubai-based fan asking to book the restaurant for a birthday. "He thought we had a museum attached," says Kanal. But Bhaijaanz is a museum of sorts. One wall has images of hairstyles sported by the actor over the years. Another has a collage in which tiny pictures of Salman form a larger portrait of him. The first-floor landing is made to look like the balcony of the actor's home, Galaxy Apartments. Stuck next to seemingly ordinary, post-card sized photos of each of his films are Rs 10 notes, the serial numbers on them matching the release date of his films.

Bollywood-theme restaurants usually rely on bright colours or posters, says Tyrell Valladares, creator of the decor. "I said we would use pastels instead and have art pieces commissioned." Valladares, who specialises in metal art, fashioned chandeliers out of bicycle parts - apparently because cycling is the actor's hobby. Then there is the painting of Salman re-imagined as the Incredible Hulk because "in our country, film stars are treated like superheroes". The famous Feroza bracelets, embedded with a blue stone, form the top of one of the tables in the restaurant.

The actor, caught as he is in court hearings on the blackbuck poaching case, has been informed of the restaurant's launch on social media but is yet to visit. If Bhaijaanz was not enough indication of the founders' adoration of Bhai, their chunky jewellery and glib demeanour are sureshot giveaways. Kanal also runs an organisation practising what can only be Bollywood's idea of charity - taking children from underprivileged backgrounds to watch every Salman Khan release.