19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kancha is cool! Goli soda makes a fizzy comeback
Kancha is cool! Goli soda makes a fizzy comeback
Sneha Bhura
TNN
Jul 19, 2025, 17:13 IST IST
Once a roadside staple, the banta is finding new fans, not just in India but across the world
After the Tamil song 'Rowdy Baby' became a global chartbuster a few years ago, actor and singer Dhanush posted a photo on Instagram featuring a bottle of goli soda on the table. He revealed it had inspired the hit song's now-iconic opening line: 'Hey en goli soda ve.'
Banta , goti soda, kanche wali bottle, or fotash jawl, goli soda has many names depending on where you are in India. Traditionally, it was made by street vendors who used a rotating machine to fill Codd-neck bottles with flavoured carbonated water, sealed shut with a glass marble held in place by pressure. But today, you no longer need to chase down a thela under the blazing sun. With all their retro charm, these bottles are now showing up on restaurant menus and quick-commerce apps in a variety of flavours — from blueberry to apple mojito. Some brands are marketing them as handcrafted, artisanal, preservative-free, and even bottled with the 'finest marbles'.
