Odeon Shopping Centre

Odeon Theater no not one in London but one near Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar was one of the finest movie halls to watch movies in the 1975 to 1990 period, when it was built it had great interiors and sound system. My memories of watching movies here is mostly the old ones, Sholay, Qurbani, Karz, not many but mostly the Amitabh ones and Jeetendra, Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar flicks. Then came the early morning shows of english movies , and we would run for the Sunday 11 am shows , Jackie Chan movie The Protector was the first show that was screened and it was insatant hit, later on Ghostbusters and many more were show, but like any business this too do not last long.

Then as the years went by the movies shown here was not running much as the movies itself were pathetic stuff. Mostly the movies like Sholay or any other shown would run for weeks and months, and it would be declared silver jubliee hit, meaning 25 weeks, golden jubliee 50, not like movies now which has a run for 4 days and its declared a hit, in todays scenario a movie fate can be known in the first 2 days Friday , Saturday and if it is good and the cable Tv guy has not shown the camera print it will be running for few weeks and then shown a month later on one of the Satelite channels.

Anyway back to ODeon and its surrounding, the area around was really buzing then with lot of black marketeers who would gobble up the tickets and then sell it through the vada pav walla stall opposite the theatre or the paan walla or they would stand near Hotel Prakash.

Odeon shopping centre was one of the best to shop for womens and kids wear, the Khandoi Halwai store selling hot samosa, patra, jalebi oooh this was specially great during the Dussera day when a Kilo fo jalebi would be sold for Rs 3 which was 50% off, it still does but the rate has gone up, there used to be a huge queue from 6 am to grab the first lot of hot jalebi. The farshan (mixture of gram flour mixed with spices, dal, and many more stuff...lol) Phafda , and dhokla, and its never ending stuff.

Next to it was the Odeon wine shop, most of the local colony guys would buy liqour from here, not to been seen taking liqour they would go inside the shopping complex and wine shop guy would deliver the stuff in paper bags , this to avoid someone from the neighbourhood seeing one picking stuff as then the South Indians and the Gujurathi folks for them drinking was a big taboo.

The Dry cleaner, Brite Photo studio one of the only studios then, great owners - typical Sindhi , but the Old Plump guy was really good and would make you comfortable when you had to remove the pic, his not so young son now still runs the business, the Chakiwalla (Flour mill) now made into a Pharma Store which is also shut and made way for a boutique, the sugar cane juicewala - now a trendy juice corner instead selling cold drinks and fruit juice, the other end a Good General store the fat guy with mushtache, he still owns it, would be always kind and curteous when one would go there to buy stuff, his was the only store that would sell cakes, paani puri cones , and all that, offcourse who would forget Bhatia TV store, Mr Bhatia was a very kind person, all our radio, its liecence, the old balck and white crown tv, then the crown color tv all purchased from his store and so many of our neighbours and friends brought from him, though he now runs a communication store and is also a member of a political party.

Hotel Prakash oldest Udipi hotel in Ghatkopar, they had a great Idli sambhar and vada sambhar, but as time went by the hotel lost all its charm, though now being run by the youngest son Ganesh, he has recently done a nice trendy look with granite tiles and good waiters with clean uniform.

The Ganesh festival was always a big draw here during the 1980's, most of the road opposite the centre was empty , clear off all the illegal store which have cropped up in recent years, specially the 2 juice centre, and the other flower stores, the area is now filled with cars parked on both side stopping traffic with people having their grub of sandwich , or frankie, or vada pav, tea or picking up flower for some occaison or the other, the market road is full of vendors selling the vegetables and fruits one of the costliest in the entire ghatkopar east area, as the rich prefer to buy quick and zipp into thier car, they don't bargain. So the average middle class people have to either buy late in the evening or go to station market.

The area has a new mutiplex coming up its almost done - the PVR theatres this in place of the old Odeon theater which was demolished as the market for single theater and dirty wooden seats were not someone wanted to go, after all they got to see the movies in the comfort of their home on the VCR or the now mordern DVD / CD player or the Cable TV. People prefer to see the movie in the comfort of the luxury provided by these multiplex but all with a huge price attached to it.

The good old municipal swmimmig pool still there, though I have personally lost count how many years it remained shut, and also after it did reopen how many months it is shut for repairs and maintainance.

The good old charm of the area is gone, no longer one can take a a peaceful walk here as the coming of the ICICI Bank and the food stalls and the increasing number of vehicles have had such an affect that now you have signals at the Raymonds - Kailash Plaza corner, and one at the Ratna Store - UTI Bank.

So times have gone by fast and one dosen't know how long before one would need a flyover to reach ODEON oops PVR theater.

Ghakopar Swimming pool, Odeon Shopping Centre, Ghatkopar Shopping, Ghatkopar news

Achija Pav Bhaji - Ghatkopar

ACHIJA PAV BHAJI, this name is now famous all over town. The pav bhajji here is something one should try and the Tawa Pulav tossed with dry fruits, and the many more variety of pav bhajji.

This now famous eatry started way back in the late 80's not sure when but all I remeber is that we used to go there after having a beer on occasion pf birthday when we were in college and later on after very very late nights after being thrown out of the Bar the only place one could get a nice decent hot meal was at Acchijas.

Many a nights after coming late from work we used to eat here, this is one of the palces where you get hot Pav Bhajji at 3 am in the morning. Thouh it is not the same as it used to be, back then the Pav bhajji was really tasty, tossed with lots of real Amul butter, and kadak (grilled) pav.

Then once a friend wanted to know what was the Acchijja Special Pav Bhajji so he ordered one, surprise surprise the plate full of bhajji and on top filled with dry fruits , man this was really one mess up, after a bite we had to remove all the dry fruits and put it in a tissue , and had the bhajji.

The owner is a nice guy - one prominent feature he is bald , shiny head, immaculately dressed , he is fit, and know the frequent eaters at his place, Bharat Bhai as he is called will give his customers a good smile , hand shake and then have you taken to one air conditioned shops , now he has three all next or opposite to his old three seater outlet.

Roasted papad, then your order, and within minutes you have it, then a glasss of fresh juice and some more if you need of pizza, or tawa pulav, or steam idli.

Many competitors tried to make their way into his stronghold by setting up stalls , shops opposite him but all fell trhough, it was only a couple of years ago that a Shetty - Udipi joint called came up called Hotel GURUKRIPA which gave a tough time to him pulling away alot of customers from him, there was a rumour (which I don't really know how true) that the owner of Acchija was taken into police custody for mixing crushed bone powder of cows to enrich the tasted and flavour of his Bhajji. This really took a bad turn for Bharat bhai as he lost most of his customers and was on verge of closing down, but like true business man and skill nd clearing his name from all this he has bounced back.

The other day sitting at Gurukripa hotel noticed that Acchijja was again back doing brisk business and all his outlets where packed this on a saturday night 11 pm.

Navrathri and Diwali is the peak time to this area for all road leads here after the shows area over and this palce is like a mela (Fair) packed all around.

So next time you do walk past here have a Pav Bhajji , am sure most of you must have had eaten here or ordered one take away.

Virant Circle - Ghatkopar

Hi there been a little busy with work. Well to begin with it was nice walk the other day nearthe Ghatkopar Vikrant Circle, that is the area, the area was given the name coz of the huge building called Vikrant, its the junction coming leading

• (West) to Ratna stores from 60 feet road
  
• (North) leading to the 90 feet road from the Pancholi Hospital end
  
• (South) leads to Tilak road towards Lions Garden and on to Acchija Pav Bhajji joint,
  
• (East) end leading to Satyam Complex near Bala's Classes.

This area has changed over the years, Rajesh Cable has sponsored the garden maintainance and it looks nice to have such beautiful garden, for years this was barren and nothing there. The fountain is really nice to look in the night.

Ghatkoapr Vikrant circle had years gone by our most famous tailor Gents - Amin Tailor at the end corner shop of Lolly book store, his humble assistant Mr. Ravi started Aristo tailors it was then a rented shop next to Pushpa Vihar Hotel, he later on went on to buy and have his own shop which opposite PV, he still does fantastic work. The Vikrant circle (VC) had very little shops then, mostly grocery and medical store , then we had the Jolly book store, our good friend and class mate in school Dubey's father had a Dughdahlaya (milk Store, sweet meat) they used to make good Samosa and lassi now this is taken over, saw a plushly decorated eatry - All Vaishnav Cuisine hotel there.

The VC had Sundaram stores where most of the South Indian ordered their grocery, this again run by my school classmate Nathan Nadar father , a humble guy , always on his red color cycle, still travels the same way, with White Lungi or to say puttu .

Then there was this Mangalore store just behind now Paan Beedi Store , most of our friends in the building were Mangaloreans so we used to go buy Rotti for Kory Rotti- Chicken curry with this dry roti made of rice flour, this dish was a staple for all the Mangaloreans on Sunday or feast days, the rotti to be broken into pieces and the Chicken curry poured on it lots of it then wait for few minutes to let it be soaked in it and then the tasty soft rotti with chicken was such a joy to have.

The Khaddi (swamp) where now the slum dewellers have got a building complex and a plush high storey made, which has shops selling Mobile - 9Pea marketing, Salons , beauty parlour, ICICI ATM, and the most famous CAFE COFFEE DAY, opposite it the wine shop for years still the same, next to it the raddhiwala (Old paper mart), we used to read books coming back from college (Somaiya) for free, the sportstar magazines and the centre fold of Chris Evert, Sabbatini, Ivan Lendle , Stefan Edberg, and the famous brat John McEnroe, then behind the hidden shelf the posters of SAMANTHA FOX man they had a collection of her RED SWIM SUIT poster which was selling like hot cakes, and many many more.

The Crysta Barber shop, its owner started small way back in the 1970's in a shop which is now the road selling vegetables behind the deomlished ODEON talkies, remember him sharpning the (Oosstra - shaving blade ) on the black belt made of horse skin, nice guy , made his big bucks and then started Crystal, and finally Diamond hair salon in Sati kripa shopping centre, now this given way to a ladies parlour.

Walking the VC is now too crowded, car parking all over, people buzzing in and out, ot of noise and the traffic.

Lot of the guys & gals had a good time and still do from the Navrathri celebration which used to take place in the compound of Virant & Vasundhara building.

Take a walk for some shopping and eating the VC has a eatry which on the road selling sandwich and juices, dosa stall and all. but the real eatry is the famous ACCHIJA PAV BHAJJI on the tilak road cross road, more about it in the next post.

Photo will be inserted later.

Ghatkopar Cama Lane Traffic Problem

Last night had an invite to the musical show of a good friend in Garodia, the show was at Bhuriben Hall Ghatkopar west at turn of the one way road coming from vidhya vihar Fatima Church to Ghatkopar Station. It was start time at 6.45 .

We asked the regular stand guy and pat came the reply that "saab don't go that way as it is totally jammed due to the coneretisation of the road at Cama Gully, SNDT college lane" . Not knowing what next to do, we got into non regular rickshaw guy and he said ok, so took a chance but no luck. The jam had come till the Standard Chartered Bank on 60 feet road. Luckily we did not go in the lane and took it to Patel Chowk near the near the station. Well then had no choice but to walk all the way from Samrat hotel to LIC building to the East - West bridge , took the lane from the jain temple to SNDT college and then walk right from the pipe line to the hall.

Now this is very annoying considering the fact that the traffic is bad on this route both going to west from Cama lane and coming from the Ghatkopar telephone exchange lane or from Fatima High school.

Last year it was the lane behind which was dug up and conceret put, almost 6 months it took and the trouble one had to take in the long jam was horrendous on the pocket as well to all the vehicle owners, and the amount of precious fuel and foreign exchange that we loose .

The sad part is that not many use thier common sense when they drive or come thorugh here , take the case of the traffic police they will only come when the jam has taken a bigger scale , either 3/4 of them will stand at one place and punish the bikers or rickshaw wala for taking a turn left or right and fine them, all they could do is to spread out, one at the SNDT college gate end to regulate from Fatmia school to left or from cama lane to Fatima school or right to exchange or station, one can stand at he Paramkeshav baug hall to see that there is no over taking or coming into the oncoming lane, though they stand on and off but it is not regular and thats when all the trouble starts.

The traffic has increased 100 folds but nothing much can be done as the roads are very narrow, the widening of the bridge over the railway tracks did help to ease the congestion, but with the street vendors all over the roads, the walk way on the bridge is blocked by useless characters watching the girls , mostly they are chain snatchers who take the right oppourtunity to steal and run. Many a friend of mine have faced this problem yet the Chirag nagar police station will not do much when you go to complain.

Hopefully the road work should be over before the exams starting next month SSC, HSC Schools final exams, as this could make the lives miserable for the children who are under lot of stress during the exam period.

• Cama Lane SNDT College Paramkeshav Baug Tilak Bridge Ghatkopar West Chirag Nagar

Schools in Ghatkopar

The present what is there in Garodia Nagar what is coming in and around Ghatkopar and all that and more.

To begin with, School well many in our time had only 2 option Fatima School at Vidhya vihar, Hindi high school at Ghatkopar West, and then the beginings of Garodia School. When I started it was at the garage and some ground floor of the Indira Lok building next to Garodia Palace building ,which now next to the Bhajan Samaj Temple , then we shifted to the ground floor building after the school ground opposite Satyam Sundaram Building, and the finally to the Ground plus one floor of the Garodia School which presently is grown to a 6 Storyed buidling even the teraace being converted to make room for either classroom or something.

The school then had a very old principal a Lady can't remember her name, then came the Military Guy - Abraham Sir, the guy who traumatised the school kids with his cane , this guy started the caning of students , where he gave the free will to the lids to selected the thickness of the cane. And then either the palms or the butts , whipped once or twice depending on the problem.

Ultimately he left, just got caned once from him. Then the gentle Mr Atre he was like mild but he had that solid slap formula which when used who really knock you out. Yeah had some tiff with on a lot of occation by that time we had grow bullies of the school, offcourse we had to spend some time before our seniors passed out. Then not sure after we passed some said it was Ms Sony and then lost count of who came and went.

The school ground had a lot of wild grass , remember the mali the good guy not sure if he is still there , he stayed at the small shed amde for him and his family at the corner end of satyam building.

Poens came and went some stayed, but one i still do see BABU the cycle guy, then there was KantiBhai and his partner right hands Mr Mahesh Garodia at the schol office, the small canteen.

There was many teachers who came and left can't remember all but still will try .

KG - Mrs Ghosh - I still see her on and off, Mary , Pinto.
1-10th Std - the other Mary teacher, Mathew the maths teacher, Dutta - History, Mrs Ramchandran - geaograpgy , history , maths, Kuruvilla - Maths, science, Mr Philip, Bideshwar - Hindi (this guy was nasty ) Nandini - Marathi, Mrs Rai - Hindi, Diana - not sure what she used t teach she was a Model babe all that i remember her beautiful face, Patil - PT , Singh PT, and many more can't remeber them now.

So that was schooling in Garodia , many did go to Fatima , Hindi, OLPS, Gregorious, Vidya Bhavan, Gurukul, Rashtriya Shala.

Next we will look at some of the shopping areas. Till then chow.

P G Garodia School Fatima School Vidhya Vihar OLPS Chembur K J Somiaya College

Rashtriya Shala School Gregorious School Chembur Vidya Bhavan School Nathpai Nagar

Garodia Nagar - Ghatkopar

Garodia Nagar –is one of the earliest of private colonies the suburbs of Ghatkopar East. The very expanding population pushed the land sharks / BMC / Local government to land fill shallow, marshy salt pans that were there. Like most private developers the Garodia’s the grandfather Garodia had brought nearly 1000acres about 60 years ago for measly sum. Even in the recently published reports of the biggest land owners the Garodia still have 400 acres of land not yet developed.

Anyway way back in 1970 when this area was developed it was very quite, and extremely dangerous as not many buildings were made in this colony, one could see the trains at the Ghatkopar station from the now Nathpai Nagar colony, you could hear the sounds of the train passing by in quite surroundings which was then without much traffic or constructed area.

Some of the early settlers here were the very low income individuals who either shifted from the Mhada built housing board rooms of Vikhroli, Tagore Nagar, Kanamwar Nagar, Kurla, Sion, Sewri, or down town who couldn’t afford the rents / cost of owning a house in the town area, Colaba, VT, Byculla, and Jacob Circle.

So each paisa collected painstakingly they made their home which then for a 600 sq ft Carpet this is notably more important as it was always carpet area, that at a grand sum of then Rs 12000/- yes twelve thousand. So you see that princely amount was very big for someone who earned 300 Rs per month salary. But then most of the south Indian community made their home here coming from the streets of Matunga, Sion.

Slowly developing into a big private colony did not take much time as the entire colony leaving apart the recently developed area of Shanti Park, or the what we used to call as the driving school road.

The colony had problems with the Garodia selling to the developers the piece of land but not providing the amenities for roads, drainage, street lighting and cleaning and maintenance, This issue took lots of lots of the hard earned money of the salaried families which had to bear the burnt of the BMC’s rule of Private colonies paying 20% for the maintenance, yet not providing any service. So till the 1980 or later also there was no proper roads mostly red mud , and very badly tarred road which was only on the main sides that is from Police chowky to right from Sati kripa shopping to Mamata Nursing clinic and again right of now Oriental Bank.

The 90 feet road area was then a swamp, and only a very narrow path made of mud was there and below the Tata Power line were big water ponds collected from rain and would stay that way for year long. The path from Police chowky to now Kailash Plaza signal was also narrow and at the signal where it is put was a single lane with 7/8 temp huts / sheds which housed a flower and sugarcane juicewala still remember the old man and his old crab shaped legs lady who would be giving out the juice, later on his crooked teeth son took over and had also put a flower shop, next to it was a dhobhiwala the old gentle mannered guy who was also curtious, a cycle shop , tirewala and all . Just behind it was a Desi Daru ka adda (Hooch Shop) later on the now shops of Shriji Photo , Bombay Bar was sheds, Thambi the cycle shop guy (It is now run by his son , but not the cycle any more the ones we would hire for 25 paisa and hour), some egg man selling Burji, Such a long time the memories coming as I write.

Well the entire Kailash plaza was a kahdi (swamp ) dirty all the time only during the summer, boys would play cricket from the Pant nagar housing colonies along the Vallabaug lane.

The lane from that sugarcane juicewala shop to now Ratna stores was very narrow and at the now turn right of UTI bank and Ratna store was a huge grand old bungalow very old and rickety it was so narrow that 4 men could not pass together. Still remember going to the station that route and coming home with folks was always scary at night with not much light.

Have to look into my folk’s photo album if we have any of the pic from that area.

So its 40 years on and the colony and surrounding have changed , not sure for good or …

Its brighter , bigger roads but chalk a block with vehicle, a fit man has a difficult time crossing the road at the turn for Garodia nagar Chowk. Development all around – Shanti, Sudha park, road from Pushpa Vihar hotel (PV as we used to call it) to the eastern express highway, from PV to Pestom sagar, the bridge made above the sewage nallah made it easier for people to go to Pestom sagar, the narrow Reti Bunder road, from there coming out close to the signal near Meghraj hotel (now a junk ) , from Nathpai Nagar the road from Vidya bhavan school to coming out at the now Coffee Café day joint. The huge 90 feet road, the temple built by Bhajan Samaj next to Garodia Palace

So it grew and grew , the BMC now finally agreeing to admit and maintain it as BMC roads , street lights, but still the old gutters now only covered with concrete slabs so as to make the BMC life easier of not cleaning and also making it much more difficult for the ALM’s to clean it. The Lions garden Park which is developed into a beautiful garden, and walking area, oh this is so nostalgic the ground was our life for the better part of our life from early days till the garden was developed. This I will write a separate blog as it has so much to write about and am sure lot of you who might have googled to this page about Ghatkopar or Garodia nagar will like to read and comment. Please do I need more info to write.

The area is now mostly filled new occupants with the grand old passing away, their children and for some their children’s children have made this their home, many left to cheaper bigger areas of Mulund, Bhandup, Thane, or even far flung place, some moved on , children many of them gone to United States, Australia, Canada, Dubai, New Zealand, and some to bigger and more lavish colonies with their growing fortunes to Hirandani and some even having their own Bungalows in this city.

Well like any other place, time, each have their own story and so from small beginning there is so much to write about of this area which still is home for many who might be reading this. Each having their era or time gone memories for this 40 year colony. Cherish as much you could and do send me comments to know what was your experience your memories. And if you would like to send me pictures of which you might want to share.

Garodia Nagar Ghatkopar Mumbai Garodia School K J Somaiya College Odeon