I’m revisiting nostalgia at Door No. 1 : Mihir Bijur

His LinkedIn profile is dotted with several national and international awards for Digital Marketing and Social media. He is a PR person and Twitter influencer who believes in presenting truth the way it is.
Recently, we witnessed the opening of his dream project, Door No. 1 at Bandra. This venture is a Retro Bar that claims to be your own Nostalgia House Party. The opening night saw the who’s who of the Indian entertainment industry grooving to retro beats.

I am impressed by his wisecracks, intellectual prowess, passion and ability to bring people together. Presenting a never-seen-before facet of MIHIR BIJUR.

Mihir Bijur – Owner, Door No. 1, Bandra

His Twitter bio says: Restaurateur – @DoorNo1Bar | Music Maniac | Internet Indian | Gadget Gullible | Humour Hungry | Gym Glutton | Ex-Head Corp Comm, Social Media & Content

So many facets to a single human being. Read on to know more about this powerhouse who left a cushy career to pursue his passion and #StayInspired.

What was your childhood like?

I lost my father when I was 4. My mother brought me up single-handedly and moulded me into me what I am. The passing away of my father was the turning point in my life. It made me grow up faster than I should have.
While the rest of the kids of my age were worrying about which cricket bat to buy, I was working towards how I can fill in my father’s shoes and take care of my family. I never let go of opportunities to earn money, however little it paid me. I have even distributed fliers at signals to make a quick buck.

While the rest of the kids of my age were worrying about which cricket bat to buy, I was working towards how I can fill in my father’s shoes and take care of my family.

What made you choose this field as a career? When did you decide you wanted to make your passion your profession?

The need to become independent was so important to me that I took up odd jobs in different fields. Later this helped me understand what I was made for. I found my comfort in Public Relations, which eventually led me to be one of the first Social Media heads in the country way back in 2008.

I never let go of opportunities to earn money, however little it paid me. I have even distributed fliers at signals to make a quick buck.

My mother, Sushma Bijur brought me up single-handedly and moulded me into what I am today.

What kept you going?

I was never the sorts who would share grief. I’d spend every night going through my entire day and analysing what went wrong and how I could fix it. For all other roadblocks, there was always music. I got hooked onto music for solace. I am still hooked to music. Maybe that is why I quit my corporate job to chase my passion of starting a restaurant built around great music.

For all other roadblocks, there was always music. I got hooked onto music for solace.

What is your best quality?

The universe had already laid down challenges for me very early in life, and thankfully this taught me to never give up. It made me resilient and confident into getting great results in whatever I do.

How have you changed over the years?

I have realised that I was quite the control-freak at the jobs I performed. I like things organised to the minutest detail and have always believed that be the best at whatever you do or don’t do it. Be it a campaign, a project or a job. This would often spill over into my personal life and causes stress.
I have learnt to live a lighter personal life full of humour and zest. As for relationships, I make a few and believe in giving it my all. I love meeting new people but am also reaching out to the small circle of lovely people I have cocooned myself with.

I strongly believe in live and let live. It may seem simple, but it is so important to live a balanced and liberal life. 

So much to do in just 24 hours. How do you perform the balancing act?

My best time of the day is the morning. I love mornings and absolutely love my gym-time. I use it to burn stress and feel fresh and prepared for the day.
My typical day always starts with an hour of rigorous workout in the gym, followed by a great breakfast (my favourite meal of the day), I then leave my restaurant and spend my time reading and on the social media.
I’m quite the party-lover and am always game to shaking a leg. I do try and eat healthy, so much so that I have an app to track everything I eat or drink in the day. Yes, that’s how obsessive I can get.

I have learnt to live a lighter personal life full of humour and zest.

Whom do you turn to in times of adversities? Has it helped? How?

I used to rely on myself because I was conditioned to do so. Now married to the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. She also happens to be one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known. In a short span of 5 years, she has fast turned out to be my backbone (sometimes my punching bag). She keeps my sane and is my partner in crime :).

My wife, Sulbha Arora keeps me sane.

My wife is my lady-luck and I don’t mean it as a cliche. Ever since she came into my life, my career has only shot up at lightning speed. I’m extremely lucky to be her husband.

Tell us something about Door No. 1

I’ve always been passionate about retro music, as the cliche goes ‘they don’t make music like those years anymore’ and it’s true. We got fed up of going to bar which didn’t cater to our favourite emotion ‘Nostalgia’.
At Door No. 1, we decided to create a home where nostalgia screams in every form. Be it music, decor or even food. It is that one emotion that makes you forget about your life today and all the stress of life. Put a smile on your face and instantly connects to your childhood and growing years.

Two people came together to start Door No. 1 …tell us more…

Vishesh Khanna, my co-brother-in-law is more like a brother to me. He’s my partner in crime and I love him with all my heart. He’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Very caring and loving. Sharp mind and a heart of gold. So it only made sense to have him as my partner at the bar as well.

Don’t care about what the world thinks of you, but do care about that little voice inside your mind and listen to that little voice inside your heart. You will seldom go wrong, and when you do, you’ll come back stronger.

Next time you are visiting Door No. 1 at Bandra Reclamation, do catch up with this inspirational personality and #StayInspired.

If this story touched your heart, do let me know in the comments section. Don’t forget to spread the positivity by sharing the post.

– Mayura Amarkant

This is the 16th interview in the #StayInspired series. Here are the rest:

1. #StayInspired – 1: Dreams keep people alive
2. #StayInspired: Marriage is a warm & intimate cocoon
3. #StayInspired: Born today, 4 Inspiring people
4. #StayInspired: When I was 13, my grandma wanted to marry me off
5. #StayInspired: God rejected my death
6. #StayInspired: Meet the Dhoni of Indian Corp Comm & PR
7. #StayInspired: He is the original TaxiMan of India.
8. #StayInspired: The ‘Vamana’ of Alternative Medicine
9. #StayInspired: Making Indian education ‘student-friendly’: Meet the new-age Lord Macaulay

10. #StayInspired: Meet the travel industry’s ‘Y factor’ – YusuF Poonawala

11. #StayInspired: Crafting the Entertainment Industry – The Sonia Parasnis Way

12. #StayInspired: Ram Kamal Mukherjee – Beyond Bollywood and Biographies.

13. #StayInspired: Mumbai’s silent Sculptor: Shishir Joshi

14. #StayInspired: “Story-telling is my life breath” Karaan Guliani director, Sarvann

15. #StayInspired: Mommies World: Where NO WOMAN IS INSULTED…