Cinema in Chennai

I watched couple of movies in the new Express Mall when i visited Chennai in November 2010. Express Mall is the latest mall to be added in Chennai and they have a nice cineplex on the third level called "Escape". I was reminded of the good old days.

Three decades back there were very few theatres which had multiple screens in Chennai. Devi Theatre (Devi, Devi Paradise, Devi Bala); Saffire Theatre (Saffire, Blue Diamond and Emerald); Sathyam Theatre (Sathyam, Santham, Subham).

In those days there were only three shows 2.30 p.m., 6.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. Some of the theatres would have 11 a.m. show which was popularly known as the Morning Show. The 2.30 p.m. show was called Matinee; 6.30 p.m. was known as Evening Show and the 10.30 p.m. show was called Night Show. Later they started having four shows 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. Anna Theatre which was opened next to Shanti Theatre (behind GeeGee complex) was the first to start 4 shows with 1, 4, 7, 10 timings.

I did not see any film in the night show as my parents would never allow us to go for night show (which is what i practice now with my children as i also do not allow my children to watch night show).

Blue Diamond was the only theatre to have continuous shows and hence you could get in anytime and watch the movie from the middle and you could get out whenever you feel like (even after watching the movies several times). I heard that was a cozy and comfortable place for lot of young lovers in the 1970s and 1980s..

I remember watching my first English Film in "Children's Theatre" which later became Kalaivanar Arangam (recently it has been demolished). I watched the film "Its a Mad Mad Mad World".

Paragon Theatre in Walajah Road used to be my favourite as they used to always screen old films. I have seen Pasamalar, Pava Mannippu, Rathakkanneer, Then Nilavu, Thiruvilayaadal, Aalayamani, Bale Pandiya, etc. in that theatre. I used to go with my school days friend Ramesh Babu. We used to watch the same movie two or three times.

Noorjahan Talkies near the Saidapet Bridge was a theatre i dreaded the most. While you are seriously watching the movie you would feel some heavy crawling on your foot. "Peruchaali" used to run over the legs. When i went to that theatre for the second time i kept my feet on the seat throughtout the film as i was scared of the peruchaali running over my feet.

Plaza Theatre next to the Devi Theatre (you have to walk a good 500 meters from Mount Road to reach the theatre) was another popular theatre as i have watched a few Jaishankar films there with my father. I have seen Thunive Thunai, Jambu, etc., in that theatre with my father. After watching Thunive Thunai we came back home and my mother was very curious to know about the film and she kept asking my father "padam eppudi erunthathu". My father has enormous sense of humour and he quipped "padam nallathan erunthathu peru thaan seriyille". After a few minutes he said "thuniye thunainu peru vachirunthaalna nanna erunthirukkum".

I have watched "Anna Poorani" first day first show in Bhuvaneswari theatre in Tiruvottiyur. I went with my parents and we had to change two buses to reach the theatre.

I watched Yadon Ki Bharat in Star Theatre on Triplicane High Road. Every now and then i was pestering my father to tell me what was happening. He was terribly bugged by me throughout the film as i did not understand any of the dialogues. When we came home he tole my mother "Yadon Ki Bharat cinema pakkanum". My mother said "eppothane paathuttu vandeengo". My father said "Naan enga cinema pathen ethu en pakkathula okkanthundu thonakkottinde erunthathu".

Alankar was opened in those days and i have seen "Raiders of the last Ark" and few tamil films there. Some of the other theatres that i have known are Midland, Geity, Odean, Chitra Talkies, Broadway, Mekala, Ram.

I have seen some horror films those days like Exhaursist, Omen, Friday the 13th. There were lot of Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin films those days which was real fun to watch. We also used to see the "Carry On" series which was again fun.

I also remember some of the great films like Mackenna's Gold, Enter the Dragon, Bees, Kramer Vs.Kramer, Three Mosquiteers. The tamil poster for some of these films used to be very funny - "Mackennavin Vairam"; "moondru MGR Veerargal".

We had a choice of English, Tamil and Hindi movies to watch in those days in Chennai.

Good old days..........