Bengaluru sustains a sense of freedom and positivity: Abhijit Saha, Chef and restaurateur

A candid chat with Abhijit Saha, chef and restaurateur, about what makes Bengaluru a favourite city.
What makes Bengaluru tick?
The city is cosmopolitan yet characterises the charm of a small town. Its population has grown by leaps and bounds. Yet there is positivity in the way people are welcomed. The spirit of entrepreneurship that drives this city is another point. Entrepreneurs here have made it big both domestically and globally. People here learnt to adjust and live happily around the stringent party deadline too. There is a sense of freedom and positivity alongside good weather.

What is your favourite Bengaluru moment?
I moved to Bengaluru in December 2000. My two kids were born in Bengaluru. I built my house here. I became an entrepreneur here and even went on to win the the Indian Restaurants Congress' best chef award. The city has a good culture of wine and dine. I have seen professional and personal growth here, making it very special to me.

If you were the dictator of Bengaluru, what is the first thing you would do?
I will clean up the city. The cleanliness drive would include physical cleaning, governance, corruption and improvement of civic amenities, infrastructure and traffic. Bengaluru was a small city. The infrastructure has clearly not supported its growth. Its lakes and gardens have been destroyed signalling a threat to its future. Bengaluru is a garden city and it must stay that way.

Who is your favourite Bengalurean? Why?
The founding fathers of Infosys, NR Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, S Gopalakrishnan and SD Shibulal, are my favourite Bengalureans. The exponential growth story of the directors revolutionised the image of India. Except our history and civilization, we had nothing much to brag about. IT is India's pride. Today, the country is looked up to as an industrial and intellectual powerhouse.

If not Bengaluru, which city? Why?
I have travelled the globe but I love Bengaluru. At the most, I would live in a vineyard somewhere near Bengaluru. I will make my own wine, cultivate vegetables and live a tranquil and spiritual life. I would like to live away from city life and create my little world with good food and fine wine.