Abandoned Theatres | Nostalgia
Image: Madurai Ram Victoria Theatre 70mm
I wish I had the resources. I would never let a standalone theatre go obsolete, especially those located in Madurai. Not only did they grow cinema viewing but enlightened many. I'm one of those victims.
Deepa theatre was the first in Madurai to be equipped with Dolby sound in early 90s. It was shutdown, and converted into vehicle parking/ garage in mid 2000. I vividly remember watching Kuruthipunal, Dil To Pagal Hai, Border, Karuppuroja, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Thunderbolt at Deepa in Dolby surround, and many other films only for the sound. Nostalgic.
Initially, 'Kuruthipunal' was released in Mathi theatre. It was mono sound. Incidentally, Deepa theatre released this film as a second release highlighting the theatre's Dolby Stereo Surround sound. That was the very first time in the early 90s, I was introduced to Dolby sound. The sequences where RPG launched had incredible surround effect. Almost everyone in theatre looked around if a real RPG was launched into the theatre. That's was the impact of Dolby and DTS sound systems when they were introduced in Madurai in early 90s.
I vividly remember Deepa theatre playing Hindi songs of Dilwale, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, DilSe an hour prior to the show. People couldn't comprehend the sound experience. No one goes out for smoking. There was pin drop silence not when the actual feature film was on, but when the music/sound was played.
I recalled all these memories when I happen to enter the theatre again in 2016 disguised as a Documentarian.
Ram Victoria Theatre 70mm

Madurai Ram Victoria theatre was the second to have a 70mm film projection after Madurai Cinipriya theatre, which is still functional now with its glorious 70mm projection replaced with inferior digital cinema projection (4K).
Ram Victoria theatre was shutdown apparently because of a legal dispute over ownership between brothers.
Following were the films I watched there projected in glorious 70mm film format:
1. Rangeela (70mm blow up)
2. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (70mm blow up)
3. Jurassic Park (35mm)
4. The Mask (35mm)
5. Ulavuthurai
And many B grade films.
I'm someone who rode a bicycle with two pillon riders behind some kilometres to get there.
I'm someone who stood in long queues, sometimes physically fought with those standing ahead to get there.
I'm someone who skipped the school, tution and even examinations to get there.
I'm someone who didn't even return home but stayed there to experience it back to back.
I'm someone who woke up at 2 AM to get there by 3 AM.
I'm an old school.
Where was i going to?
Cinema theatres..
The Madurai, which existed before the dawn of 2000, reportedly had maximum number of theatres in the entire state of Tamilnadu.
Therefore, cinema organically became our staple. And, i grew up watching English language films released in my temples Mappillai Vinayagar and Manicka Vinayagar theatres and select regional language films in some theatres.
Ambiga theatre opened in 1989 located at the class A category of Madurai, Anna Nagar was considered to be a premium theatre for watching regional films especially Tamil and Hindi. Sometimes English films were also exhibited.
An architectural marvel, with the first of its kind to have glass panels covering the front facing and the entire building was sort of constructed with marbles/granites. The perception was it was a Taj Mahal of Madurai.
Most importantly, they had several first of its kind: One of the first theatres in Madurai to install an effective dts (Digital Track Sound). Not only me, many cinephiles and audiophiles of Madurai preferred the dts in Ambiga theatre to other theatres. Because not only it's sound but acoustics made the experience wholesome.
I feel broken when I witness a theatre getting shutdown. Reportedly Ambiga theatre is closing its screens. This has caused a profound pain to us.
Meet Kannan, with more than 3 decades of experience and who has been the operator aka projectionist since the inception of the theatre. He has witnessed the cinematic evolution from analog to digital - 35mm photochemical film to DCP (Digital Cinema Projection) and mono to stereo to digital sounds like dts and Dolby.
Top of the mind recall of some of the films I watched in Ambiga and Mooambiga theatres:
1. Annamalai
2. Batcha
3. Avaishanmugi
4. Ratchagan
4. Vaali
5. Kan Ethire Thondrinaal
6. Rthym
7. Air force one
8. Virumandi
9. Kadhal Konden
10. April Maadhathil
11. Gilli
12. Thool
13. Jeepers and creepers
14. Anbe Sivam
15. Mission impossible Ghost protocol
16. En Suvase Katre
17. Hawksaw Bridge
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This blog is not exhaustive. There will be addendums.
Authored by Balaji Thangapandian aka #BT - a spacefarer, who is also curious about film-making, connectivity technologies and military history.
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