Mid-Day Anniversary Special | `Wanted to give something to the city`: Musician Dhruv Ghanekar recalls the journey of his music venture with Ashutosh Phatak

Dhruv Ghanekar, co-founder, blueFrog 

In a city where dreams often get lost in traffic, Ashutosh Pathak and Dhruv Ghanekar found theirs. The duo did not just start a venue, they kickstarted a movement. In December 2007, the two co-founded blueFrog, Mumbai’s first fully integrated live music space that reshaped how the city consumed music and left an imprint so strong that we are still in fact, starved for a similar space.

blueFrog arrived like a cultured disruptor. It had state-of-the-art sound systems, beautifully designed interiors, a record label, and became a stage for many musicians to start their careers. “We were successful in our music careers, and doing around 11 commercials a week. Our song, MumBHAI [from Bombay Boys] with Javed Jaffery had become a hit. But we felt the need to do something more,” said Pathak. “Between me and Dhruv, we had a dream, and we went all in. We went in with the belief that this idea would work,” he added. Perhaps, also, because Mumbai had never seen anything like it before. “We always wanted to give something to the city. We would see such venues abroad. Every time we came back to the city, we would be bummed out that there was nothing like that here,” said Ghanekar.

(Left) Dhruv Ghanekar and Ashutosh Pathak on the first day of operations at blueFROG’S in December 2007

The original plan was to offer 360-degree services to the music industry. To be a record label, a studio, produce music, and offer a live music venue. Still, they were never ambitious about making blueFrog a large space. “We thought of it as a small venue, and we would serve pizzas. It was all supposed to be informal. But as conversations carried on, the plan scaled,” explained Ghanekar.

The idea was discussed, funding was found, and the location was locked. Ten months were spent constructing the dream inside Todi Mills. “A lot of people told us that no one would come to Lower Parel,” said Pathak, and Ghanekar added, “We knew people would come. We were the first to build anything in Todi Mills. An old mill with history added more character to the space; it was architecturally beautiful. The location just made it more interesting for us.”

Within months, blueFrog became a hit. The venue wasn’t just a place to catch a gig; it became a launch pad for local talent and hosted international acts. Legends like Zakir Hussain, Richard Bona, John McLaughlin, Bauchklang, and many more took to the stage here. It brought indie rock, jazz fusion, electronic and folk artistes, all under the same roof.

Though blueFrog closed its doors in 2016, its legacy still resounds. It proved that live music could be taken seriously in India. And, it gave the duo more support to take their careers to greater levels. 

Pathak founded the True School of Music to offer formal training in music with the idea to support as many music entrepreneurs as possible. “The club opened my eyes about the education space. Musicians can be trained and educated to figure out multiple revenue streams,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Ghanekar established Wah Wah Music, a leading music production company that has won a Cannes Lion, Abbys, D&AD, and GIMA Awards, among many others, for its work in commercials. Recently, he’s created Mumbai Star — The Musical, and has worked on Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming Netflix feature film.

2007
When blueFrog opened its doors