Fanboy moments on MG Road

The marquee Mahatma Gandhi Road, South Parade in the pre-independence era, was a favourite haunt during our salad days. The gleaming shop windows, colonial-era buildings, century-old churches, iconic restaurants, the Promenade, the movie theatres, and people dressed-to-kill held a special allure. MG’s also had a rich history -- as far back as 1790, Lord Cornwallis marched his army down the road to launch an attack on Tipu Sultan’s Fort in the pete area. We believe the place had hilly terrain back then.

All the buildings on MG Road had a story to tell. While many iconic structures have either disappeared or been displaced, many continue to stand tall: the India Coffee House, Victoria Hotel, Blue Fox, Gangarams, Spencers, EGK, Albert Raj, Thomas Cook, GK Vale, Select Book Shop, and Jamals belong to the former. Yet others like Higginbothams, Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium, Mayo Hall, the Oriental Building (built by the Madras Sappers), Sadhwanis, Lakeview Milkbar (Kannan Building), Bangalore Ham Shop (Andrews Building), the Tract and Book Society (earlier Blighty’s Tea Room), and the Deccan Herald Office (originally Funnel, a dance hall) continue to stand tall.

My association with the Deccan Herald, goes as far back as the 1960s, when I would cycle down to the newspaper office to drop my article into the letter box. I recall being over the moon when my first “letter to the editor” saw the light of day on April 13, 1980. An unforgettable spectacle in the old days was people gathering outside the newspaper office to follow the election results. A massive rectangular manual scoreboard displayed the score on top of the building.

Milton Rutherford Reid, a famous actor who starred as a villain in numerous English films, was a curious sight on MGs in the 1980s. Clad in a Roman skirt and top, he strode the road like a colossus during his evening walks, a horde of admirers trailing him—a hilarious sight indeed. The legendary American boxer Gunboat Jack (Wilson Colzie), who lived in Bengaluru, also frequented MG’s in the 1970s. We had our own fanboy moments as we bumped into celebrities randomly.

The picturesque boulevard lent a unique charm to MG Road with its beautiful, leafy trees. The raised walkway along the parade grounds was perfect for enjoying the sights and sounds of the road. And for those who fancied going to the movies, MGs teemed with cinema halls: Liberty, Plaza, Bludiamond, Blumoon, Symphony, and Lido. If we ran out of tickets in one, we would quickly scamper to the next.

The RSI stadium hosted Ranji Trophy matches, exhibitions, and circuses. I recall watching the ‘Holiday on Ice’ show in the 80s with my parents and siblings. The bevvy of beauties entered the skating rink and twirled around like fairies, much to the crowd’s delight. These memories of MGs will remain evergreen!