In a parallel universe where movies are living creatures, theatres would be their temporary homes where they pay occasional visits to be themselves. They interact with the people who come to see them and tell tales from other places and create a connection. After these movies leave the theatre, it is those memories that have been weaved into the minds of the people that stay.
In the 90’s Prarthana drive-in theatre on ECR gave the viewers an open-air experience. In the 2000s, it brought in an old-world charm. A few years ago, when the theatre stopped functioning, it became a memory. This year, with the plans for the theatre being replaced by Baashyaam Group’s offering, cinema lovers from the city talk to CE about the movie-watching experience under the stars at Prarthana.
Unveiling nostalgia
People used to travel from different parts of the city to experience the drive-in theatre.
Vijay Bharath, who travelled from Ambattur to ECR, shares, “Prarthana Theater had shown only at 7.30 pm and 10.30 pm. The canteen exclusively served vegetarian food. In 1996, we went to see Indian starring Kamal Haasan. We could even pull the speakers into the car and clip them to the windows. We brought our food as well. Behind all the cars, there were stepped seats for people who came in two-wheelers to watch the movie. Since patrons could bring their pets to the theatre, we used to take our dog. However, in 1997, the theatre management installed the speakers on poles explaining that people often forgot to remove the speakers from their cars when they left, causing damage.”
Also Read: Lucknow gets 'theatre for elderlies', workshops to be conducted to engage senior citizens
Since watching movies inside a car is more of an intimate experience, families often equated the journey to Prarthana as their picnic.
“We enjoyed going to the theatre as a family. There is also a Saibaba Temple nearby, thus the journey was almost like a weekend getaway to a peaceful place. People used to pack bed-spreads and place them in front of their cars,” recalls Ravi Meenakshisundaram who used to visit the theatre in the mid-90s. Even when it rained, people sat inside the car and enjoyed the movie, adds Aravind Ayyaswamy.
When a lot of people craved for the adrenaline-fuelled experience of clapping and dancing in the theatres, a few others preferred a calm screening. Meenakshi shares, “We used to go there because it offered us privacy, compared to other theatres that were too loud and crowded. It allowed you to spend time with your family and it was the closest you can get to the experience that you get at your home.”
Certain movies with great visual and audio effects — like King Kong, offers Subramanyam M — drew viewers to the large screens of Prarthana, leaving a lasting impression on them. “We preferred watching all Rajni and Kamal movies at the theatre. Watching Godzilla was an unforgettable experience. When you see the giant creature in an almost 25- 30 ft screen, surrounded by cars, it was almost surreal,” shares Ravi.
Legacy in question
Alongside Prarthana Theatre, the single-screen Aaradhana with a 70mm screen was a getaway for everyone who preferred to watch a movie under budget.
“My college was on ECR and the closest theatre to us was Mayajaal Multiplex. Since the tickets were expensive there in 2007, me and my friends would watch films at Aaradhana where the tickets were only Rs 40; very affordable for a group of guys who wanted to watch cinema. We used to be there almost every second week. We also shared a collective dream of watching a film in Prarthana once we get a car,” shares Avinash, who watched a lot of Vishal movies at the theatre.
Apart from the open-air movie-watching experience, Avinash mentions that viewing a movie in Aaradhana was different because of its crowd. “As someone who has always lived in the heart of Chennai, it was interesting to see how people far away from the city consumed cinema — what scenes they clapped for, what scenes enticed them,” he adds. Ticket availability, it's pricing, and distance plays a major role in people choosing theatres. People eventually preferred multiplexes, while a lot of old theatres failed to keep up.
“The distance was one reason. We all got busy with our hectic schedules and got used to A/C theatres and fancy snacks,” shares Kuyil Mozhi, while Avinash adds, “There is no point in holding on to nostalgia when people don’t go to these theatres on a regular basis and be a patron of that establishment.”
Also Read: Thamizh Talkies: Big dreams for the big screen
Even though tearing down buildings with such a legacy for real estate development is not new, the weight of nostalgia of a bunch of movie lovers makes it news that is difficult to digest. While Baashyaam officials refrained from talking to us on their new project, Avinash throws light on the need for preserving a legacy.
“Srinivasa Theatre which used to screen movies for the second run is also shutting down. AVM Rajeswari closed during the pandemic. Almost four theatres closed in the Vadapalani area during the pandemic. The closed theatres have become restaurants or marriage halls. A few years down the line, people won’t really remember if there was a theatre there unless you do something to preserve the legacy. Melody Theatre in Triplicane was shut down and now we have a building with the same name. We don’t know if the new buildings replacing Prarthana will retain the name and thus carry forward its legacy,” he shares.
Future of theatres
Movie-watching has become a filtered process, especially after the pandemic where people prefer to stream movies on their devices and choose to go to theatres only if it provides them with that larger-than-life experience. In such a situation, even though there is a possibility of another drive-in theatre, theatre-buffs CE spoke to claim that it is too much of a risk to take.
Also Read: Vidya Balan returns to theatres leading a powerful ensemble cast in the murder-mystery Neeyat
“Now there are a lot of options. You can book a private theatre, and experience movies in pubs, bars, rooftops, and in the comfort of homes. When you didn’t have entertainment reaching your house, you sought it outside. Probably a certain generation of people still want to go out to watch a film. But I feel like we are having a utopian dream that you will have another drive-in theatre as there is no proper space or setup,”
Avinash notes. Concurring, Venkat Ramanan shares, “We hardly have any government or private lands for another theatre like Prarthana. A rooftop drive-in theatre like in Mumbai is an option to be considered but again the space and availability of buildings of such grandeur is hardly an option in Chennai.” As a three-decade legacy meets with a dead end, it remains to see how many buildings of importance will withstand the test of time.