Have you heard about Steve Banerjee? The Indian American who ran a Male strip club in the US introduced the concept into the industry, inspiring many others to follow in his footsteps. Only a few people know his story, but soon everyone will.
Hulu is bringing a series called “Welcome To Chippendales,” which is a visual representation of the man himself and his Chippendale troupe who made it big before sinking into a stupor of drugs, racketeering, and murder.
In this blog, I will talk about Somen “Steve” Banerjee and his introduction to male strip clubs in the US. The blog also brings you details about the series that is being made on this true story and the casts.
The Dark Story Behind The Male Strip Club In The US Run By This Indian!
A strip club named “Chippendales” became an instant success for its conceptualization because the name was classy as hell! Nowhere would you find a strip club with a character not suggestive of its course. Therefore, the authorities also liked the name, so it was accepted.
I wonder why something so popular ended up in so much controversy. Somen “Steve” Banerjee was an immigrant but was driven by his big American dream. He realized very early on that it was necessary to create a name to earn money; however, what he didn’t know was where to stop after becoming popular!
Steve Banerjee created an empire out of a strip club, which operates to date. However, he is elsewhere to oversee it! Of course, there is a valid reason, considering he got involved in criminal activities such as conspiracy, hire for murder, and racketeering.
Currently, the estate of Steve is being handled by Jesse, the oldest Steve Banerjee son! Further, Steve also has two more children, Christian and Lindsay.
Who Was Somen “Steve” Banerjee?
Somen Banerjee was born in 1946 and lived in India; however, his stay in India must be clarified! His father was working at a printing press when he was born! In 1969, Somen Banerjee migrated to the US with dreams in his eyes to make it big.
Initially, he worked in the Barbie producer toy country, Mattel. Then, he went on to buy his first gas station, which was dunked! After that, he purchased a Los Angeles rock club. Along the way, Somen transformed into “Steve ” in this journey. He started the strip club called the Chippendales, where men performed wearing just their underwear.
Initially, he organized many events till 1979 at the nightclub to make it popular! He also used different techniques to influence the audience to get more exposure and popularity. This was when the introduction of oiled, cuffed, and dancing men on stage turned things in his favor, atleast initially.
However, after the popularity came his hiring people to take out dancers, members, and owners of rival clubs, thus decreasing the competition; he also conspired against his co-owner. Read along to learn more about Steve’s strategies to make his business work.
This led to his imprisonment in 1993, and he agreed to a 26-year prison deal and forfeited ownership of the Chippendale club to the American government. He later killed himself one day before the sentencing in his jail cell.
Background Of The Male Strip Club!
Banerjee met Paul Snider and got ideas for his Strip club. Snider took him to a lot of gay bars and came up with the concept of male stripteases. This was when the strip club became a staple place for the queer community to visit and enjoy themselves.
The concept of men stripping and dancing, showing off their bodies well-oiled while women outside the ring shouted and screamed in delight, was something completely new! They also got a choreographer, Nick De Noia, who got into the business of showing the boys how to dance.
Initially, it led to great success, especially in California, influencing the male stripper industry. Banerjee taught all the men who worked at his strip club to be respectable, along with being seductive! He tried to draw inspiration from the Playboy Clubs by asking the men to control any sleazy behavior.
It was Somen’s idea to make the process of striptease classy by introducing men to wear collars, cuffs, and black spandex pants so that they did not become completely naked after stripping down.
If you are a feminist, you will realize that at a certain point, the strip club was a contributor to the feminist movement at that time. All clients were treated with respect, so when some performances turned lewd, it was difficult for both Banerjee and his business partner, Bruce Nahin.
Know More About The Series “Welcome To Chippendale”!
Becoming a household name, the Chippendales have inspired the series produced by Hulu, “Welcome To Chippendale.” Chippendales has a huge following as the representation of the adult entertainment industry in America.
They sold over a million copies every year, thus having a profit of $25000 weekly while touring. Steve was handling a $8 million a year business, and no other than Kumail Nanjiani plays the character on the screen.
The series will be streaming on 22 November 2023 on Hulu! Get ready to watch one of the most adventurous and ambitious stories ever! Nothing beats cinema more than actual drama from real life!
Cast
Kumail Nanjiani plays the lead character in the miniseries “Welcome to Chippendales” by Steve Banerjee. Other significant characters are played by Annaleigh Ashford as Steve Banerjee wife Irene Banerjee, Juliette Lewis as Denise Coughlan, and Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia.
There will also be other actors, such as Andrew Rannells, who plays Bradford Barton, and Quentin Plair, who portrays Otis. Dan Stevens plays Paul Snider, Spencer Boldman portrays Lance McCrae, and Nicola Peltz Beckham plays the character of Dorothy Stratten in the series.
Robert Seigel created the series, also known as a biographical drama! It has been inspired by the book called Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders. Patrick MontesDeOca and Scot Macdonald have written the book on which the series has been based.
A Strip Club Empire That Ended In Death…
Now that you know who Steve Banerjee is, would he have been successful in continuing his male strip club empire if he had played legally? If he were not involved in drug racketeering, ordering hits, or conspiracy against other business owners, he would have survived.
Ofcourse, we have to remember that not everything was in his control! Many aspects were happening because of the increasing competition in the industry.
Comment on what you think about the immigrant trying to make it big in America with dreams that could have a cornerstone in his life!
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