Kolkata’s love affair with doodh soda hits a high after Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar might’ve made it go viral, but doodh soda had been a Kolkata favourite for decades. At Balwant Singh’s Dhaba in Bhawanipur, it remains a midnight ritual for students, night-shift workers and late-night revellers – a frothy antidote to humid summer nights. Served in steel tumblers or tall glasses, sometimes with rose syrup, it perfectly balances creaminess and fizz. After Gaurav Gerav’s iconic “Darling Darling, Peelo Doodh Soda” line went viral, the drink found a whole new audience. “This is my grandfather’s recipe. Over the decades, it has become Kolkata’s favourite. But after Dhurandhar, we’ve seen a whole new crowd coming in,” says Manish Singh of Balwant Singh Dhaba. Here’s why this drink is a hit.


Dhurandhar made it viral, Punjabis made it iconic
Long before it became a trending hashtag, doodh soda was a summer saviour across North India and Pakistan. Legend has it that it started as a quick-fix cooler — milk to mellow, soda to spark and soon became the Punjabi answer to energy drinks. At Kolkata’s Balwant Singh’s Dhaba, it’s been a midnight staple for decades, poured out for students, night-shift workers and late-night revellers alike. One sip and you’d get why it’s oddly satisfying and nostalgic. Ask any Punjabi about doodh soda, and you’ll get a grin that says, “Of course!” It’s practically a family heirloom –poured on any day the sun got too ambitious. Every home had its own recipe- some swore by extra fizz, others added rose syrup for flair.

Doodh soda is the go-to drink in our house. We have it every day. While growing up, it was more like desi energy drink. I remember having it on football match days-refreshing and energizing. Sometimes we would also add ice-cream to it and make it a float
-Satnam Singh Ahluwalia

>This is my grandfather’s recipe. Over the decades, it has become a city favourite -something regulars would swear by. But after Dhurandhar, we’ve seen a whole new crowd coming in


-Manish Singh of Balwant Singh Dhaba