How it was in Bengaluru? Going forward to 80's and 90's

Many who grew up in Bengaluru said they enjoyed Shanthi's memories in the previous blog.    A few who came later on to Bangalore related to it happily. One called Bangalore a heaven! Dr. Gen. Raghunath recalled the line of tall trees on KR road from National College, gone tragically. Alka Mathur from Delhi felt nostalgic of her own growing years and saw a lot similarities between her life and ours. It proves that India, especially in the middle class, has a culture which indeed is common to us all.  More have promised to write! Hope they do!

This blog is thanks to Dr. Krishna Prasad, who posted it on our cousin's WhatsApp group. I wish I had the name of the author. I can relate to it, but not entirely! It is written in a wonderful style and is very appealing!

*If you were a young adult in Bangalore in the 80s and 90s…......we've been there and done that...*
(This period was middle-age times for me. And I was mostly a visitor to Bangalore, dutifully taking my kids to see temples, Lalbagh and the MTR! Rarely went to see cantonment. Occasional drink at a friend's home. Which itself was something new!)

You saw Dirty Dancing in Rex, Godfather and Sound of Music in Symphony, Rocky in Blue Moon and The Gods must be crazy in Plaza. You’ve seen at least one Disney movie in Rex when you were a brat. Most times you would have been in the front rows thanks to very little pocket money.                        (This could be right out of my life! Once I managed to get our English teacher and many in the class to go see "How green was my Valley". It happened that the teacher saw me looking out of the window. He jokingly asked me 'what are you dreaming about?' I blurted out, 'I wish I could go and see the movie running at Plaza'. When he heard the title of the movie, he said let's go and so we did after he dismissed the class. It was a great movie of a great book!)

You will definitely remember the drive-in theatre in the now unrecognisable Bannerghatta Rd. Who hasn't seen Grease on a VHS Cassette tape borrowed from a friend or Cassette library.
You went to shows in Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Ravindra Kalakshetra and Guru Nanak Bhavan.       (All these came later.)

You went to European film festivals at Alliance Francaise and Max Mueller Bhavan.
You had a British Council Library card. And you still have a book somewhere you never returned to Eloor Lending Library. (Once I moved, I really missed British Council and especially Koshy's which was located downstairs!)

You had steak at Shezan and apple pie in The Only Place and Pav bhaji at Wai ki ki below Knock Out Disco. It’s still the best apple pie you’ve ever had, and nobody dare say otherwise. You ate pasta at Casa Piccola and burgers at Indiana and you are going to be nostalgic and sentimental about it till it kills you. You had Hot Chocolate Fudge at Corner House, lychees and cream at Lakeview and gulab jamun at Bhagatram’s. You had Chinese at Chung Wah, Rice Bowl and Ginza.  (I feel jealous. It was just Lakeview for me!)

You’ve spent years learning one or more of these – Bharatnatyam, Carnatic music, any Indian instrument, and the complete playlists of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh.           (Right!)

You went clubbing to Knock Out, Time & Again, The Club on Mysore Rd and Blue Fox on MG Rd and don’t forget the afternoon clubbing. The atmosphere was amazing and the crowds and music was mind blowing. You drove there in a car crammed with too many people.  Tea and kababs in Russell Market, at 3 a.m., to get over a crazy hangover. If you were willing to splurge, then it was sandwiches at the Taj Coffee Shop.    (Oh Oh! Almost tempted to edit this out!)

You’ve been to a Christmas Dance or a Mayflower Ball at the Holy Ghost Hall or Catholic Club. You’ve jived, waltzed, breakdanced, moon walked, done the Birdie Dance, the Macarena and the ICE ICE BABY thing. Not to forget the Lambada. (No way at our age and time for an inner city guy!)

You've celebrated Diwali by getting up at the crack of dawn, having a stimulating oil bath, puja, lighting the crackers and in the evening decking up and going to all neighbours houses exchanging sweets. New Year’s Eve meant at least three parties to hop to. And you’ve rounded it off with breakfast at Airlines Hotel.(Yes for Diwali. Christmas meant my father would bring home a fruit cake!)

(Rest is all totally cantonment memory!) A fancy “going out” mostly meant somewhere within the area enclosed by St Marks Road, Dickenson Road, Commercial Street and Richmond Road. You know about the drag races on MG Road late at night and the crazy wheelies.

You remember being kept on a fairly short leash by your parents, and not being given very much pocket money, but you’re reading this list, smiling to yourself and recollecting  that you seemed to have done a lot anyway.

You remember bars named 19th Church Street, Night Watchman, Pecos, Take 5, High Spirits, The Pub, NASA, Underground, Black Cadillac and Pub World which had  fabulous night life and a rocking crowd .
You knew people then who were openly gay and it was just another strand in the regular fabric of life.
You knew at least one person who was in a band and could rock the crowd with a set of drums or guitar.

You knew aspiring artists, actors, directors, writers, fashion designers and models. You’ve since watched several of them become famous, with some even recognised the world over then and today.      (This part is nostalgic. We do get to know, meet those who later became celebrities! As I moved out I did lose contact. But was nice to see them on TV!)

*You remember when Bangalore was India’s most liberal, laidback, beautiful and green city. Not to mention, the best climate ever.That’s the Bangalore you take with you when you travel either in India or world wide.*

Decades later,  when you meet someone who says he's from Bangalore too, there's that fond smile on your lips and that nostalgic light in your eyes that nobody can take from you.

*Enjoy - this post to all  everlasting childhood friends*

Students' haven!