By Geetanjali Sharma
In the walled city of Amritsar, once stood Chitra Talkies, the first movie theatre in Punjab. Built by Mahan Singh in the early nineteen hundreds, the cinema hall saw many dark days and many starstruck nights. Every brick of that building had the initials of the owner ‘MS’ engraved on it.
Last week, the authorities took the action of demolishing a building which stood strong holding heritage value. It was famous for its grand twin balcony setup and doubled as a theatre for stage performances.
Yes, time flies, hands change, governments switch and decisions begin to favour what’s timely and predictable. Now, the pattern in almost every city is identical when it comes to demolishing structures of cultural significance in the interest of ‘development’.
Single screen cinema halls have become a thing of the past. While a few still operate, the public at large speaks nostalgically about the memories associated with private theatres. And I find myself fortunate to have enjoyed such experiences while growing up. The demolition of a cinema hall which I never got a chance to visit reminded me of all the other local theatres which got me exiting their gates with fond memories.
Going to the movies was an event. The date and time had to be decided well in advance making the process exciting and fun. Buying a handwritten ticket from the ticket counter used to be a huge achievement after braving long queues packed with enthusiasm. The real charm began when the old-styled canteens offered freshly made butterfly popcorn, bakery cookies and patties. Coca Cola in glass bottles and cherry studded Black Forest pastries were on the list of favourites apart from chips and chocolates. The hall used to inevitably have some pigeons flying around while the suspense of the movie was being built.
I don’t know about you but, somehow, I remember those movies better. The ones I watch now don’t get the attention they used to back then. I believe the easy availability of content online has made viewers lazy. When I speak to my parents about movies, the kind of details they are able to recall is unbelievable. Their impression of all the films that they have seen is perhaps more profound than ours. And why not – they took out time to go watch a movie without anything else infesting their ‘screen time’. People nowadays are found roaming around outside the theatre mostly ‘busy’ on their phones while the movie is playing. The classic cinema halls had a charm of their own. They were romantic, had a personal feel which is absolutely lost in today’s polished ones. From basic to luxury, the audience seems to enjoy the comfort of a fancy lounge more than the movie itself.
Sadly, it has been seven years since I last visited a theatre!
(Geetanjali Sharma is an author and communications specialist. She holds a post-graduate degree in international communication from Macquarie University, Australia.)
