The nineties were simple.
Long before entering our lives in cellphones and technology, fun in Madras meant to spend the evening in playing a cricket match. Or go to Spencer Plaza for free air conditioning and window shopping. Or just carrying a bus for Marina Beach or Woodlands Drive-in, where anyone can have some bajji or masala dosa on hearty conversation with his secret crush or annoying Kadi Jokes with a gang of friends (equal to dad jokes).
Celebrating the city in the month of this Madras, we hold with three “90s children”, which become indifferent about era places, films and music.
Shiva
Shiva, actor
The first thing that tells me about the nineties in Madras is playing cricket on the streets. I grew up in Sit Nagar, including dreams of winning the world and becoming a big cricketer, like my then role model, Sachin Tendulkar. One of us formed a team called ‘City Bulls’ and played a flout cricket matches in many grounds in the city. Everyone helped me internal the character in their hit film, Chennai 28Which was an Ode for the game integral played in our life during our growing phase.
We were also lucky because, without access to television or any type of technique, we got to spend a lot of time outside.
Apart from cricket, films also created a permanent impact on me during this phase. We will go and inspire all the superhit of that time for Tamil films, but my most memorable film was watching the Hindi film, Dilwale bride leanj (1995), in Melody Theater. I was with a group of four friends, none of which understood Hindi. Nor came. However, because he once saw me using his broken Hindi words asking the neighborhood chaat seller asking additional sauce. A little And ZiadaHe liked me to translate me on the big screen during the entire run time. It was going to be cheerful, because I had very little clue and also what was being said by the characters. But I still narrated my version to him. To date, I do not know if they consider the story right.
Madrashe (Kritika Nelson) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Madrashe (Critica Nelson), Lyricist-Gner
There was a lot of peace in the nineties and there was more enthusiasm about going out to meet people.
I grew up in Adir, and in a small shop near the main signal, where we used to make mixed tapes with all the songs that we loved. My introduction in the world of music was mine That is Carnatic tape, and collection of my father’s cassette is characterized by Boney M and ABBA. As a music fan, it was a game changer to hear the name of Ilaiyaraaja, but growing in the nineties, I became a very big R Rahman fan, which made many mix tapes based on his hit track and cracked to ‘Ram’Rangela1995).
After this, we don’t all have computers, so we will all queue up to a friend’s house that had a PC. After school, we will become gamers, play ‘Prince of Persia’ and ‘Donki Kong’ … We will bend to get an opportunity to sit before monitor. We will meet people without an agenda, which is not present these days.
Six of us from the apartments I used to pack dinner, he used to take a bedsheet and go to Besant Nagar Beach. Sometimes, we go to MGM Diji World or Small people such as entertainment parks, and for this, we have to plan a large scale, looking at the distance from the city. Close to the house, I remember that I am going to Kacharis at Narada Gana Sabha, and going to a group of Tamil plays, which featured SV Shekhar, Crazy Mohan and TV Varadarajan. Sometimes, I do not understand jokes; We will wait for people to laugh and then start laughing. They were great times.
Darbuka Shiva | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Darbuka Shiva, Director-Music
The nineties were hitting heat in Madras – especially during summer, when we were playing – but places made it worth it. I grew up in Kolathur, and we would probably be venture to Purusavalkam to buy, and therefore, the first time I saw Nungambakkam, I was like ‘wow. what is this place?!’. I remember when I stepped into a landmark, the only place where we could actually roam out, listening to music from abroad in those music booths. I have spent several hours in this shop, checking books and music. I would not have enough money to buy all the audio cassettes for which I wanted; Therefore, in a petulant way, I remember that I want to put all my favorite people behind the rack so that someone else buys it and to ensure that it is still in stock when I came back next time!
The Spencer Plaza was the first mall I saw. I spend hours with friends here and then take the bus from the bus in Marina Beach. I packed all these elements in my track as a love letter for those times, ‘Pudhidhai’Mudhalam ni mudivum ni,
In Kolathur, I grew with Anglo-Indian people around me. Someone must be playing Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley, and I’ll just stop and take it all in.
In 1992, when I was just 10 years old, I remember playing audio cassettes Roza, Nothing was known about who was the brain behind it. The sounds in my head burst, especially when AR Rahman breaks into ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’ in ‘Yello’ part (RozaThis gave me cow pumps. I could see the images after listening to that line, and it was magic.
Published – August 30, 2025 06:05 AM IST
