Cinema Theatres of India - Gradually Getting Wiped Off the Map

Cinemas serve the purpose of entertainment and the various cinema theatres across the country are a showcase of memories for people across generations. However, unable to keep up with changing times, these sources of nostalgia are getting wiped off the map gradually.

An old movie projector; Image source: wallpaperaccess.com

Cinema has always been a medium that unites people, both physically through mass gatherings at a theatre and also mentally through its relatable ideology. Screaming together at an action scene or sobbing together in an emotional one, cinema becomes synonymous with bonding. But, the very cradle of these cinemas, that is, the traditional cinema theatres are gradually falling into disuse.

India is the largest producer of films in the world. It has been home to as many as nine thousand and seven hundred single-screen cinema halls. However, this number is slowly shrinking with each passing day as the multiplex chains of PVR and Inox is hastily taking over.

The history of this dying legacy of cinema theatres is really nostalgic for the generation that belongs to the pre-television era. For a considerable period of time, it was their only source of entertainment.

The Chaplin Cinema Hall of Kolkata which was originally called Elphinstone Picture Palace is one of the oldest of the lot. Constructed in 1907, it fell into complete disuse by the early 2000s.

Vijayanand Talkies of Nashik has an interesting story associated with it. It was started by a tailor cum tent-maker. It was here, in this spot, that Dadasaheb Phalke, the Father of Indian Cinema displayed a film on a makeshift screen. However, it was met with contempt by the illiterate villagers. It is looked after by Vijaykumar Chumble and for him, it is a thing of great passion and honor to carry his family's legacy forward. This is a modified cinema hall, luckily still in popular demand among loyal regular viewers.

There was a time when films like Sholay, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and many more ran non-stop for months at these single-screen theatres. Such was the craze in those days!

The seating capacity of these single-screen theatres was often close to one thousand. And as the theatres got Housefull, the craze of the first-day first show and the continuous display of super hit films for months at a stretch had a charm of its own. Even a business of serving tea and snacks during the interval would bring huge profit.

Capitol Cinema of Mumbai, Poorna Theatre of Vizag, Ritz Cinema of Delhi, Saffire Theatre of Chennai, and Everest Talkies of Bengaluru are some other names among other the prominent single-screen theatres of the bygone era. They displayed a wide range of movies. They got you covered from Hollywood hits to Bollywood blockbusters.

How these centers of entertainment ended up being dilapidated is rather a sad story. With the advent of television, the craze for theatres reduced drastically. And the mushrooming of multiplexes put the last pin in the coffin. It was a blow that was difficult to recover from. Financially, it started becoming a burden for the owners and thus, most of them had to be shut down.

However, a few owners like Chumble who are driven by passion, help these bodies of nostalgia strive even amidst the fast-paced changes occurring around them. These theatres once served as the medium for both entertainment and enlightenment of the mass and hence, they occupy a special place in our hearts even today.