You can take hundreds of pictures on your phone, but nothing quite beats holding a physical copy. Polaroids and photobooths were built on this very idea — turning fleeting seconds into something you can hold, instantly.
One such nostalgia-driven setup is the Retro Express photobooth at Pondy Bazaar. The team initially started with Polaroid-style photographs using Instax cameras at Church Street in Bengaluru. Explaining the shift to retro booths, Jamsheed K, founder of Retro Express, says, “People loved the experience, but the film costs were very high, and we always wanted to build something of our own — something creative that people could emotionally connect with.”
This eventually evolved into Retro Express, combining instant photography with a retro newspaper-style twist. “What started as a small idea eventually grew through word of mouth,” he adds, as the booth has expanded across cities like Kochi, Kannur, Kozhikode, and now Chennai.
The city outlet has found a fitting home in Pondy Bazaar, one of the busiest and most vibrant shopping hubs, drawing a constant mix of young crowds, families, tourists, and shoppers throughout the day. Explaining how Pondy Bazaar was an intentional choice, Jamsheed says, “Since Retro Express is an experience-driven concept, we wanted a location where people naturally stop, explore, and create memories.”
Amid the bustle, friends, couples, and families gather around the stall, waiting for their moments to be captured and transformed into printed keepsakes. What sets it apart is its vintage newspaper-style output, with custom templates that mimic front pages and feature layouts. “I’ve seen this in Bangalore, but this is the first time I’m trying it here,” says Ghaiyatri, a visitor from Malaysia. “I will definitely post these on Instagram and recommend it to my friends.”
While the team keeps details of the camera and printing setup confidential, Jamsheed says the entire system has been customised specifically for the Retro Express to ensure quick, high-quality prints. “The entire setup was built and developed by us from scratch. A lot of experimentation, testing, and creative work went into creating the final experience,” he says. “People are curious when they first see it, and once they try it, they genuinely enjoy the experience. It’s been a great start for us in Chennai.” The booth sees steady footfall on weekdays and weekends.
While the overall Retro Express concept remains the same across cities, the templates and themes are adapted to reflect local trends and the character of each city. Here, customers can choose from around five templates, which are updated based on festivals, trends, and special occasions. These range from pop-culture-inspired designs like Stranger Things and Breaking Bad to Chennai-themed layouts such as ‘Vanakkam Chennai’, which highlights the city’s history, and ‘Namma Chennai’, which features popular local spots like the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and the Marina beach. Jamsheed notes that Chennaiites have especially connected with the nostalgia and aesthetics of the concept.
Around the booth, the excitement is palpable. The moment a print rolls out, faces light up. It quickly makes its way around the group, passed between friends and partners. What begins as a simple photograph turns into an experience in itself. Priyanka, a working professional, says the experience instantly reminded her of old printed family photographs. “There’s a wedding coming up in our family, and we were discussing how fun this would be at the event. Instead of regular return gifts, people could take home these printed memories,” she says. “We take so many pictures on our phones now that we don’t really sit and look at them again. With photostrips like these, I think it’d feel good to actually keep it. I could even put one up as a poster on my wall.”
In a city that rarely pauses, the Retro Express booth creates a brief one, just long enough for a photograph to be printed, passed around, and remembered.
Retro Express photobooth is located outside Balajee Bhavan, and is operational from 4 pm to 10 pm. Choose a template, and get the photo in 20 seconds, at Rs 150.