Theatres: Beyond the screen

The one city in the newly independent India that was a real moviegoer’s delight was Bangalore. In the early ‘50s, cinema theatres in Bangalore had films in many languages – Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, later Malayalam and Bengali movies added in the morning shows. Bangalore was probably the most cosmopolitan town in the country in that sense. Its varied taste in films portrayed the reflection of tolerant and eclectic mindset of the locals.

The highest number of cinema theatres per square mile in the whole country was on Kempe Gowda Road in the Majestic area. The cinema houses on KG Road included Prabhat, States, Sagar, Kempegowda, Himalaya, Geeta, Majestic and Movieland.

Theatres in the present-day MG Road and Brigade Road showed mostly English films. New Opera and Empire showed regional films.

NGMA entrance

Inside NGMA

Beautiful entrance

English film theatres were coming up and it included Liberty, Plaza, Rex, BRV and Imperial which showcased the new English movies. Minerva Theatre had showed movies in Telugu, Tamil or Kannada which families enjoyed going for late-night shows.

The showcase of all regional languages through films made it easier to learn other languages, and also spread Hindi and English, enhancing the vocabulary and speed and its influence of the west. Today most of the big theatres have disappeared making room for malls and shops, not for new theatres. The multiplex's only have a bigger drawing-room, compared to the giant theatres before.

ALLIANCE FRANCISE

Stone sculptor at entrance

With hundreds of people in a huge theatre, the great experience of savoring and sharing delectable moments on the screen is now a thing of the past. When the hero saves the heroine from the villain, the collective sigh of relief which would reverberate through the auditorium is a memory only for the earlier generation.

Bangalore had more than 200 cinema theatres once in the past. It has lost majority of them one by one. While the multiplexes have taken over the small theatres today, the local crowd haven't stop enjoying going to the theatres in their locality even today.

Director of the play

Lead Actor in frame

WeMove theatre group

Foreign movies displayed in small theatres have become another favorite in Bangalore. Places like Alliance Franchise, National Art Gallery play movies every week on similar themes (French, German, Chinese, based on cinematography, based on a certain historical period, etc. and the timings and dates are on their official website.)

Apart from a movie screening, the real fun is watching actors perform plays in theatres. Many small theatre groups train actors and put up beautiful shows which are gaining popularity in Bangalore. Some of the groups are WeMove Theatres, Yours Truly Theatre, Ranga Shankara, etc.

Some old traditional theatres you can enjoy are listed below:

1. Veeresh Cinemas Screen 1: 1st Cross, Magadi Main Road, Agrahara Dasarahalli, Near Toll Gate,

Bengaluru, Karnataka 560079.

2. Prasanna Theatre: 92, Magadi Road Tollgate, Magadi Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560023

3. Narthaki theatre: 119, HOSPITAL ROAD, Anchepet, Chickpet, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560009

4. Vaibhav theatre: No.68/5, Near Police Station RMV Extension, 2nd Stage, Sanjaynagar, Bengaluru,

Karnataka 560094

5. Kaveri theatre: 8, 1, Sankey Rd, Guttahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560003

6. Gopal theatre: near HP Petrol Bunk, Marappanapalya, Yeswanthpur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560022

7. Menaka Theatre: 1st Cross Road, Kempegowda Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560009

8. Shankarnag theatre: 2nd Floor, MG Road, Shankarnag Chitramandira, Bengaluru, Karnataka

560001

9. Mukunda Theatre: 1 shop, Banaswadi, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560033