Retracing Bangalore's late 90's golden era

Bangalore in the Late 90s

A Nostalgic Journey through Rex, Symphony, Brigade Road & Beyond

1995-1999 • The Pre-IT Boom Era

Bangalore in the late 1990s existed in a beautiful, liminal space—a city trembling on the cusp of a seismic shift, yet clinging fiercely to its old, garden-city soul. It was a time when the first whispers of "IT" and "outsourcing" were floating in the air, but the rhythm of life was still dictated by college cycles, film showtimes, and the simple promise of a perfect evening out.

The Cinematic Cathedrals

Your weekend began with a question: "Rex or Symphony?" They were more than theatres; they were cathedrals of celluloid. Rex, with its iconic neon sign and art-deco façade, felt like a grand old dame. Symphony, slightly more modern but no less magical, was where you went for the bigger blockbusters.

The experience was uniform: the heavy velvet curtains pulling back, the collective hush as the projector whirred to life, and the shared dream in the dark. Emerging, blinking into the afternoon light on Brigade Road, you were part of a stream of people, all dissecting the film, deciding where to go next.

The Heart of Bangalore

The epicenters of this universe were unmistakable: the stretch of MG Road, the buzzing Brigade Road junction, and the hallowed cinema halls. That decision on where to go next was deliciously simple.

Indiana's

A sticky-floored, dimly-lit haven at the Brigade Road junction that served burgers that were the stuff of legend. Messy, saucy, packed into soft buns, with their signature iced tea.

Casa Picola

With red-checkered tablecloths and an aroma of garlic and cheese wafting onto the street. Their "Chilly Beef Burger" was a rite of passage—a spicy, greasy, glorious handful.

Pizza Corner

The ultimate destination with the mythical bottomless Coke or Pepsi. A single payment bought you endless refills, turning a meal into a marathon session of gossip and laughter.

Strolling Through MG Road

For a more genteel outing, you strolled down MG Road. A visit to Higginbothams was mandatory—an aromatic labyrinth of knowledge with wooden shelves creaking under the weight of books. Ganga Rams was the stationer's paradise where the smell of fresh paper, ink, and cardboard was intoxicating.

"The Plaza theatre, with its elegant, old-world charm, offered a different cinematic vibe. And looming large in the memory is Food World, with its most iconic feature outside: the solitary blue telephone booth."

In the age before mobile phones, this booth was the nodal point of all coordination. "Meet me at the Food World phone booth at 6" was the standard instruction. It was a landmark of patience and promise.

Capturing Memories: GK Vale

In that pre-digital era, memories were tangible, captured on rolls of 24 or 36 exposure film. After a day out at Brigade Road or a movie at Rex, the ritual wasn't complete without a visit to GK Vale to drop off your film for developing.

The anticipation was part of the experience. You'd hand over your precious film roll, receive a small receipt with a collection date, and then wait impatiently for 3-4 days. When you returned, you'd be handed a packet of glossy 4x6 prints—the visual diary of your adventures.

Flipping through those freshly developed photos was like reliving the moments—the blurry ones from moving cars, the carefully posed group shots at Pizza Corner, the candid laughter outside Rex, and sometimes, that one perfect frame that captured the essence of Bangalore in the late 90s.

GK Vale wasn't just a photo studio; it was a gateway to nostalgia, a place where memories were processed, quite literally, from negatives to cherished keepsakes.

The Food That Defined an Era

Indiana's Burgers - Messy, saucy, and legendary, accompanied by their signature iced tea.

Casa Picola's Chilly Beef Burger - A spicy, greasy rite of passage that defined teenage indulgence.

Pizza Corner's Bottomless Cola - The ultimate bargain that turned meals into marathon gossip sessions.

The Last Golden Hour

This was a Bangalore of tangible rituals. It was about the crumpled ticket stub from Rex in your pocket, the ketchup stain from Casa Picola on your shirt, the weight of a new book from Higginbothams in your hand, the stack of freshly developed photos from GK Vale, and the specific, fizzy burn of a bottomless Pepsi.

The late '90s in Bangalore were the last golden hour of that slower, more intimate city. Soon, the tech tsunami would arrive, reshaping the skyline and the very pace of life. The phone booth would become obsolete, the bottomless soda would vanish, film cameras would give way to digital, and the simple act of a leisurely stroll would get lost in flyovers and traffic jams.

But for those who lived it, the memories are etched in the senses: the taste of a certain burger, the sound of a cinema hall's bell, the smell of developing chemicals from GK Vale, the sight of a neon sign flickering on a warm Bangalore evening, and the feeling of being part of a generation that had the best of both worlds.

Bangalore in the late 90s: A city on the brink of transformation

Rex • Symphony • Brigade Road • MG Road • Casa Picola • Indiana's • Pizza Corner • GK Vale

A TIMELESS MEMORY