Dr Raj's favourite, reopened
Whenever late Dada Saheb Phalke awardee Dr Rajkumar used to visit Mysore, thousands of his fan following knew of one place where they could get a glimpse of the superstar. Hotel Sujatha (near Highway Circle, Bannimantap).
The euphoria was palpable when the veteran cine actor would come out on the porch of the hotel and wave at the massive crowds, leading to loud whistles and cheers. However, after the hotel closed down in 1998, the fans were left in lurch.
After 12 years, the hotel was reopened and rechristened as ‘Sujatha Residency’ in May last year by partners Arun Pandit and Dheeraj Hegde. Pandit explains, “We took nearly one-and-half years to renovate the place. When we bought it on lease, all the doors and window frames, had been taken away by miscreants.”
Speaking to City Herald, Arun Pandit reminisced about the times when he was a college student. “When we used to be in college, Hotel Sujatha was known as a posh hotel. If somebody was having his meal there, then he was known to be quite influential,” he recalls. “It had its own magic,” he adds.
“Whenever Dr Rajkumar used to visit this hotel three to four rooms used to be booked exclusively for him and his entourage. Most of the times, it is said that, he used to stay in Room 109,” he says excitedly.
Pandit recollects the words of the former owners, “The make-up artistes would be sharing the adjoining rooms and the gates of the hotel had to closed owing to the large number of fans that would be waiting to see the star actor.” Other film stars including Dharmendra and Ambarish were also guests of this hotel.
Built as a guest house initially by Class I Contractors Basavegowda and Boregowda, the hotel became a favourite for retired professionals owing to its crispy dosas and filter coffee.
At an age when fancy names rule roost in the tourism industry, Pandit says, “We decided to retain the name as Sujatha because people still remember and can associate with it. If you ask any old-timer, he will definitely tell you about the beauty of the place.”
With changing times, Sujatha Residency now boasts of wi-fi connectivity, 24 hour room service, flat screen TVs and satellite transmission.
Spread over one acre, space is a luxury at the renovated and refurbished hotel.
“If a hotelier had such a huge space, then probably he would have built 150 rooms. But we have only 24 rooms and we also want our clients to have that feel of spaciousness,” Pandit remarks.
However, the Unique Selling Point (USP) of the Sujatha Cafe are the crispy dosas and filter coffee.
Describing the menu, Pandit pointed out that the morning breakfast was South Indian, while the lunch included both South and North Indian fare.
For those who frequented Hotel Sujatha during its heydays, another chance awaits them to pass on the legacy and relive cherished moments.