I miss the drive-in theatre in Bengaluru: Indrajit Lankesh

He calls himself the ‘true Bengaluru boy’ as he hails from a part of the city that he calls the real city — Basavanagudi. Filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh believes that there is no other city like namma Bengaluru and he proudly reminisces his fondest moments in the city and takes us through his favourite spaces. Excerpts from a chat that was held at his favourite childhood haunt Vidyarthi Bhavan...I’m a Bengaluru boyThere cannot be anyone as local as me, when it comes to being a Bengalurean. I am a Bengaluru 4 boy (560004 being Basavanagudi’s pin code). I’ve grown up in this area. There is something magical about the spaces here. I’ve studied in National College, which used to have multiple cricket clubs practicing at the same time. Since I was a cricket enthusiast and used to play the game during my younger days, I’ve played alongside people like Gundappa Vishwanath, Chandrashekhar and Erapalli Prasanna, all of them used to play for the club City Cricketers and would practise with youngsters like us. The area has a charm about it. We would visit Vidyarthi Bhavan as a special treat. I remember going there on Sundays for that one dosa even when my father wasn’t financially in the best position. He would want us to enjoy the treats. I have fond memories there. I also remember this space called Mani Stores, a condiments and general stores, where the owner was a Santa Claus for us, because he’d allow us to take sweets and chocolates on credit. We’ve also kept Ganapati idols as youngsters on the street and celebrated Gowri Ganesha festival. We used to fly kites in the open skies. The other place I love frequenting in the area is the Bull Temple, which is a World Heritage Site. There is some kind of familiar feeling every time I revisit the area.What I love about BengaluruI love Bengaluru because of its air. I also love the city because of its water and the people. The freshness of Bengaluru’s air is exhilarating. Similarly, an example to the Bengaluru water being good is the fact that the beer in the city is the best, when compared to some of the best in the world. The people of Bengaluru are cosmopolitan in nature. Even though they are so charged with energy, they are also deep-rooted in culture. The city is called the Garden City for a reason. There is Cubbon Park, but no one can ever replicate a Lalbagh. There cannot be any such town planning again. It is amazing to have around 540 acres of green cover in the form of a botanical garden. It is a wonderful gift to the citizens of this city. There are a few things that I miss about the city. We used to have one of the country’s first taxi stands in Basavanagudi. We used to have the yellow top taxis here even before the app-based taxis existed here. We also had one of Asia’s biggest drive-in theatre in South Bengaluru, where I recall watching many James Bond movies with my dad and freaking out. I miss those aspects of Bengaluru. Koramangala is a mini-IndiaWith the changing needs of generations, I’ve moved to Koramangala. This area is vastly different from what Basavanagudi was. There are people from all across India and the cosmopolitan nature and the fast-paced lives of the people here is a new Bengaluru altogether. This place has all the requisites that a top metropolitan in the world needs. From the best lounges to coffee shops to entertainment avenues, one finds it all here, which is one of the reasons why it is one of the most favoured spaces when it comes to youngsters opting for homes.