Moving memories of vanished movie halls

Secunderabad, with its innumerable cinemas that once showed flicks of all sorts, is now just a reminiscence for diehard film buffs with most of the magic halls disappearing with the times, and some of the survivors are masquerading as modern multiplexes

Secunderabad: Watching movies in Secunderabad used to be an exhilarating experience. Even the diehard Hyderabadi vouches for it. It’s true that this pleasure has been robbed off by technological developments. As the technology grew, theatres in the Twin Cities, like in any other place in the country, gradually faded into history. Though some of the old theatres have retained the names, the ambience of the yore is missing.

Watching a movie was a big event in the family – from what to wear, what to carry to how to travel. The entire family or a gang of friends used to be involved in planning for the theatre visit. Most of the time, the choice of watching movie was decided on which theatre to visit. Theatres were a big attraction even if the movie was not on the popular charts.

Then there was a list of paraphernalia that drew movie buffs to the theatres. It was the aroma in the canteens and stills of the forthcoming movies that attracted the movie-goers to revisit theatres. Coffee sprinkled with chocolate in those canteens was no match to the franchised cafes of these days.

Not to mention about the cold sandwiches with a generous spread of mint chutney and egg puffs. Crispy onion samosas wrapped in newspapers and curry puffs for the vegetarians. To catch up with the rush at these canteens, one could quickly grab from the ‘palliwalla’ through the grills of the theatre gates so that the beginning of the post interval movie was not missed. “We used to visit theatres like Sangeet to watch girls as well,” Rajnikant, an investor, recalls of his college days.

Most of the theatres which used to screen Hollywood movies besides the popular Telugu cinema. The theatres which were razed include Anand and Ajanta among others. Theatres like Nataraj stopped screening movies and are selling furniture now.

The most popular Sangeet is stuck in a prolonged renovation. Dreamland got retransformed into prayer hall which is now on the verge of giving way to elevated expressway to Hakimpet. These theatres, which were patronised by the Defence personnel and their families of the Secunderabad Cantonment, were bustling with exuberance.

One that stood the testing time is Tivoli. But has been made compatible to the new technologies of exhibiting the movie, that it ignored most important aspect of a theatre – the visitor. Besides Tivoli, a few others like Rajeshwari, Ajanta, Prasant and Manju are survived all kinds of onslaughts.

Theatres, which screened Hollywood films, had an aura of its own kind. “I still remember how my uncle used to have a swig of his favourite drink in Plaza,” said renowned photographer Lenny Emmanuel, who runs a professional studio in Secunderabad.

Plaza, which was facing Parade Grounds in the same block behind Montgomerry’s Bar popularly known as Monty’s, has
for they did not have permission for the second one. One gentleman Falli, a Parsi, was the manager and he was assisted by Gowrishanker. Gowri later joined the Army,” recalls Lenny.

Far-off from the city, then on the outskirts, there was Sri Sai theatre in Bolarum. The dilapidated theatre still stands testimony to the times it used to entertain many. Again, it was built to cater to the military personnel and local populace. “There was a big surprise when the magnum opus of Sippy – Sholay - was listed to be screened in Sri Sai,” recollects

Narender of Bolarum. “The reason was that the theatre was equipped with the best audio systems – Westrex stereo,” he adds. Ask any Secunderabadi about the theatres, one get reels of stories. Such is the place of these magic halls in the hearts of all. Secunderabad theatres have a special place in the history of Indian cinema which will never fade out.

By Y V Vijay Kumar