HYDERABAD: Following protests from women’s organisations and student groups against the Playboy Club in the city, the Cyberabad Police on Tuesday, “suggested to the management to voluntarily change the name of the club to ensure that it would not give any scope for apprehension or objections from activists”.
Playboy Club was launched in the city on Saturday on the premises of the Novotel Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Soon after, several women’s activists had objected to the use of the ‘Playboy’ brand, apprehending that women will be employed as ‘Bunnies’ or ‘Teasers’ to serve food and beverages to the customers. They had termed the dressing up of women as ‘Bunnies’ objectionable and indecent and feared it could set an unhealthy trend in the city. Cyberabad Police Commissioner CV Anand, in a directive to the management, said, “It has been brought to my notice that Playboy Club, which is a worldwide chain, uses women to act as ‘Bunnies’ or ‘Teasers’ to serve food and beverages to customers. This was not in the knowledge of the under signed when the renewal of the police licence was done on May 31. Moreover, it is a violation of condition number 5 of that licence. Therefore, additional conditions are being imposed for the functioning of this pub, to allay fears of the citizens.”
According to the police, the licence to launch the club was issued strictly adhering to existing terms and conditions. “The police department only renewed the previous licence given to Novotel and HICC Pvt Ltd permitting to play music and operate a club in the name of ‘The Club’, on December 21, 2012. Subsequently, the club underwent renovation and Novotel and HICC authorities contracted a different entity by the name of ‘Playboy Hyderabad’ to run the pub on the same terms and conditions on the licence issued on December 21, 2012,” Anand clarified and termed allegations that the licence was given by the Telangana government false as it was processed before the State was formed.
Imposing fresh set of conditions, the police said, “There shall be no use of women, in any attire, to serve food and liquor to guests and customers inside the pub. The use of women to act as bunnies, teasers, hostesses and waitresses is banned and any violation ...will lead to suspension and cancellation of licence.”
The Bunny Tale
The Playboy Club was first opened in downtown Chicago on Feb 29, 1960. While venturing into India, the company had said the iconic Playboy Bunny costumes to be worn by waitresses will be redesigned, toning down the seductiveness. The original bunny suit, designed by Playboy’s promotions director Victor Lownes III and founder-patriarch Hugh Hefner, comprises a corset, a cotton tail, bunny ears, a collar and cufflinks.