DC's Gamechangers: Arjun Sajnani, putting Bengaluru's sunny side up
Arjun Sajnani plays a special part in the story of Bengaluru. The founder of Sunny’s, the city’s first European fine-dining restaurant and a stalwart in the local theatre scene, Sajnani, a lover of horses, has also had a longstanding association with the Bangalore Turf Club. Sitting at a quiet corner of his restaurant on Lavelle Road, anxiety is wrought large upon his face – the day has been a harrowing one, spent making trips to and from the Race Course as he attempts to mitigate the ‘doping’ scandal in which he and his prize-winning filly, Queen Latifah, have become embroiled.
“This place is my anchor,” says Sajnani, gesturing to the restaurant, which is slowly filling with people. The restaurant’s dog, Prince, saunters up every now and then for a pat on the head, which Sajnani provides everytime, the cares leaving his face, if only for a moment. The head chef stops by later too and Sajnani remarks, watching him leave, “My staff have been with me for 21 years, through many a turbulent time. When I do retire, I want to leave the place to them. It’s been my solid ground and Vivek and I feel a legacy is the best way to say thank you.”
The conversation veers back to the Turf Club and Sajnani, who apologises each time it does, “I hate to think ill of the place (the Turf Club), but it's a bitter, bitter feeling.” His turmoil is not unjustified; Sajnani’s love for horses goes back decades, to when he was a teenager being taken to the races. “I came back to India when I was 22 and signed my name to my first horse, along with my brother-in-law,” he smiled. “He was a little chap, won us two races! After that, it’s sustained itself, really.”
His love for animals goes back a long way, so much so that he and his partner Vivek added their dog, Sunny, as a partner in the restaurant. “We needed a third party and Sunny was brought in,” said Sajnani. “To me, they have always been beings that feel and understand, which is why the controversy around Queen Latifah hurts so much.” In fact, news that they had not won the One Million Cup in March, losing the filly’s record with it, was received without too much heartbreak. “She’s running again in June and the pressure is immense.”
The ups and downs of what he describes as a “charmed life” have been faced with fortitude, which he hopes will come through for him again. “I’ve had my difficulties, we’ve been broke, I’ve been put in jail a couple of times in the U.S. as a student, for carrying alcohol into a dry state,” he laughs. “This is the first time an attack has been made on my character and I hope I find the resilience to see it through.”
