Bengaluru, 6 May

After five decades of entertaining audiences, Bengaluru's iconic Cauvery Theatre has screened its final feature. The single-screen cinema, located on Sankey Road, wasn't just known for the films it screened; it boasted a large screen, ample parking and affordable ticket prices.

Celebrating its golden jubilee this year, Cauvery Theatre opened its doors on 11 January, 1974, with the Kannada classic ‘Bangarada Panjara’ starring Rajkumar. Prakash Narasimhaiah, the owner of the theatre, told Salar News “It has been a long ride from the day I opened this theatre 50 years back. I am a movie lover from the start and that is what drove me to construct this place.”

Suresh Kumar, the owner of a tea stall near the theatre, told Salar News “Me and my father have been here for almost 25 years. When we heard that this theatre was being shut down, we felt as if we were losing something personal. No matter what is being constructed here, it would not be the same as the theatre.”

Spread over 1.5 acres with ample parking, the theatre had a circular design and a mini-balcony. With a width of 70 feet and a height of 30 feet, the screen at Cauvery Theatre was one of the biggest in Karnataka at one point. Renovations in 1995 reduced seating capacity from 1,384 to 1,110.

The theatre will be demolished to make way for a software complex. "The rise of streaming services has dealt a blow to single-screen theatres," Narasimhaiah said. 

"People's viewing habits have changed, and they prefer to wait for movies to be released online, especially since the pandemic. My father, late SN Moorthy was the architect of the theatre'' said Spoorthy Moorthy, son of the theatre’s architect. 

The closure of Cauvery Theatre has left a void in the community. Ramesh K, a resident of Malleshwaram, said: “Cauvery was a Bengaluru institution. It's a shame to see it go, but times change. I'll miss the big screen experience.” Similarly, Anu, a college student living near Koramangala, said,d “I wish they could have found a way to preserve it.”

Cauvery Theatre has one of the best movie experiences in the City. “Unlike in multiplexes, in Cauvery Theatre movie watchers are animated and for every goosebump moment, they will go crazy and berserk. This we will not get in any multiplex theatre,” said Juhaina Maraiam, a journalist in the City.

The iconic cinema shut its doors on 20 April, 2024, with the final films being the Hindi movies ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ and ‘Maidaan’.

Other than Cauvery Theatre, Kapali (2017), Pallavi (2012), Tribhuvan (2016), Sagar (2013) and Everest (2023) are some of the other single-screen theatres that were shut down in the City in recent times. —Salar News