Industrial Cafe Sanatnagar was bang opposite the Allwyn factory. A spacious, high ceilinged, big-hearted affair, Industrial cafe lived up to its name and catered to the chai and time pass requirements of the workers and passersby in the industrial area of Sanatnagar. Being close to a number of large sized industries including some of the units of Allwyn, the Hyderabad Industries, Bakelite Hylam and a host of smaller units around it was always bustling with people, especially after 5 in the evening.
After most of the industries their closed shop namely the Allwyn units and Bakelite Hylam in the nineties, the cafe fell in bad times. But it was a fantastic location because it offered lots of parking space, green trees around, a clear view of the skies, a road that was not too populated and a cafe that was as unhurried as any Irani cafe ought to be. I liked the location though I never was a huge fan of its chai. Many an evening we spent there, sipping chai and yakking, through the eighties and nineties. When Madhav worked in Allwyn before he left for the US, I'd pick him up at Industrial cafe on pay day and we'd go off to down a few at Rajesh bar. Those were the days when men were known to hold their drinks and were expected to find their way home without bumping into people - so we managed our lives well without breathalyzers and stuff like that.
But over the years we could see that the cafe was slowly going to seed.
I never knew this but apparently it was a hot place for film shoots that required an Irani cafe scene. So when they had to shoot the Irani cafe scene for 'Golconda High School' they picked Industrial cafe. Quite a few scenes were shot there. The one when Mikey is found and brought back to Sampath sir, the scene between Sampath sir and the Irani cafe owner Liaquat, Mikey's fight scene in the cafe and a celebratory scene after the first match. I was around at the shoot for a couple of days. One day we even had my friend Ashok Yadav of Gokul, a fine batsman in our day, also visit us at the sets.
It was not too long ago that I visited Industrial Cafe, a few months ago perhaps, and it was limping along still. But yesterday when I went with Ranjan and Sanjay to have a cup of tea we found a gaping hole where the cafe had been. I know for sure Madhav will feel a tad sad. So this post is specially for you Madhav.
Adieu Industrial cafe. You now join a long list of old landmarks from our lives that have vanished.
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| Industrial Cafe, Sanatnagar - Gone! |
After most of the industries their closed shop namely the Allwyn units and Bakelite Hylam in the nineties, the cafe fell in bad times. But it was a fantastic location because it offered lots of parking space, green trees around, a clear view of the skies, a road that was not too populated and a cafe that was as unhurried as any Irani cafe ought to be. I liked the location though I never was a huge fan of its chai. Many an evening we spent there, sipping chai and yakking, through the eighties and nineties. When Madhav worked in Allwyn before he left for the US, I'd pick him up at Industrial cafe on pay day and we'd go off to down a few at Rajesh bar. Those were the days when men were known to hold their drinks and were expected to find their way home without bumping into people - so we managed our lives well without breathalyzers and stuff like that.
 |
| Dug deep under |
I never knew this but apparently it was a hot place for film shoots that required an Irani cafe scene. So when they had to shoot the Irani cafe scene for 'Golconda High School' they picked Industrial cafe. Quite a few scenes were shot there. The one when Mikey is found and brought back to Sampath sir, the scene between Sampath sir and the Irani cafe owner Liaquat, Mikey's fight scene in the cafe and a celebratory scene after the first match. I was around at the shoot for a couple of days. One day we even had my friend Ashok Yadav of Gokul, a fine batsman in our day, also visit us at the sets.
It was not too long ago that I visited Industrial Cafe, a few months ago perhaps, and it was limping along still. But yesterday when I went with Ranjan and Sanjay to have a cup of tea we found a gaping hole where the cafe had been. I know for sure Madhav will feel a tad sad. So this post is specially for you Madhav.
Adieu Industrial cafe. You now join a long list of old landmarks from our lives that have vanished.
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