In emotionally devastating news to South cinema enthusiasts, the iconic Cauvery Theatre is being demolished after five decades of existence. As per the reports, the theatre celebrated its golden jubilee only three weeks ago.
Located in Bengaluru, the Cauvery Theatre has been a host to films across languages like Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi for the past 50 years. It opened on January 11, 1974 and the first film to be screened here was Dr Rajkumar starrer Bangarada Panjara. It ended its illustrious journey with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan on April 20 while the last Kannada language film to be screened here was the Darshan-starrer Kaatera.
After its opening, the theatre amassed immense popularity among the cinephiles, especially during the peak of single-cinema days. On April 20, the theatre hosted its last releases, the Bollywood films Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidan. As per the reports, a commercial complex is being planned to be constructed in its place.
Prakash Narasimhaiah, the owner of Cauvery Theater, conveyed his sadness, saying that in the past five years, there has been a major decline in its revenue. He got this theatre from his father, Narasimhaiah, as part of his inheritance. It was built by him. Prakash also emphasised the fact that OTT has greatly impacted the closure of such theatres, especially since the pandemic. According to him, people have changed their movie-watching practices in the last few years due to several options available.
Prakash Narasimhaiah revealed that this theatre was a favourite of the late South star, Puneeth Kumar. The late actor attended the screening of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1975 blockbuster Deewar. He added, “We have had many film personalities coming to our theatre — Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Yash Chopra.” While it has also been used as a set for films.
The Cauvery Theatre spreads across approximately 1.5 acres of land. It is known for its signature circular design and vast parking space. It consisted of 1,110 seats and a mini-balcony.
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