Things to do in Khar & Santacruz

Khar and Santacruz, just north of Bandra, carry much of Mumbai's small-room comedy and neighbourhood bar scene. The lanes of Khar West, between Linking Road and Khar Road station, hold comedy rooms such as the 40-seat Khar Comedy Club, where comics test new material, alongside bars and cafés that run gig nights, quizzes and open mics. Santacruz East has the University of Mumbai's Kalina campus and hotels with banquet-scale events. Shows here are cheap, late and close together, so two in a night is realistic. Khar Road and Santacruz are on the Western and Harbour lines, and the Aqua Line's Santacruz station serves the eastern side.