Shilpa Shetty breaks silence after Bastian Bandra shutdown sparks panic: 'Don’t turn this love toxic, Bastian

Actor-entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty recently found herself at the centre of confusion after announcing that Bastian Bandra would serve its final meal on Thursday. The statement prompted speculation about the popular restaurant chain shutting down completely, leading to thousands of calls and messages directed at her.

In a video shared later, Shetty clarified her earlier post. “No, I am not shutting down Bastian. I promise!” she said, rolling her eyes at the flood of reactions. “But one thing’s for sure, I can feel the love for Bastian. But don’t turn this love toxic. Bastian is going nowhere.” She added that while the Bandra outlet had closed, two new projects were already in the works.

On Instagram, Shetty explained further in her caption. “Bandra Bastian was the root to our tree called Bastian Hospitality. Like a tree blooms new fruits, our favourite Bandra restaurant is giving way to a new one called Ammakai, South Indian Mangalorean cuisine taking me back to my roots. Your favourite Bastian is going to Juhu, with the name of Bastian Beach Club. So Bastian is staying, going nowhere!!!!!”

The official Bastian Mumbai page also addressed the matter, stating, “Bandra was our beginning, and while that chapter closes, two new stories are waiting to be written.” Ammakai, which opens in mid-October, will focus on South Indian dishes inspired by home-style flavours, while Bastian Beach Club will launch in Juhu as a coastal dining and entertainment space.

Meanwhile, the development comes against the backdrop of legal trouble for Shetty and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra. A Rs 60 crore fraud case has been filed against them by Lotus Capital Financial Services director Deepak Kothari. Their lawyer, Prashant Patil, dismissed the charges as baseless. “All allegations are false. We have not received a copy of the FIR so far. This transaction is quite old, 7–8 years back,” he told ANI.

Despite the ongoing case, Bastian Hospitality’s management, led by founder and CEO Ranjit Bindra, is focused on expanding. “Bandra was where Bastian’s journey began, and it will always remain close to us. As we evolve, it feels right to honour South Indian cuisine through Ammakai, while also bringing the energy of Bastian to Juhu in a fresh way,” he said.