Plaza theatre is shutting down

Friday, March 18, 2005

Plaza theatre on MG Road is shutting down. Yesterday, March 17, 2005, was the last screening. Plaza is 69 years old. The building will be demolished shortly, and presumably, a high-rise will take its place. I’m not aware if the new building will contain a movie hall.

Lawrence Liang got

birdonthewire and me access to the place. Since theatres traditionally frown on patrons bringing in cameras, I took much joy in photographing the place inside out. Unfortunately, I was carrying only the 18-70mm lens, which has a nice field of view but at a maximum aperture of only 3.5 (smaller number is better), requires a lot of light. I had neither light nor tripod and so had to shoot at ISO 1600, resulting in extremely grainy pictures.

Lawrence’s colleagues Namita and Surabhi were also present. Namita was photographing the place (my presence with a camera was accidental), and Surabhi was filming it.

This picture is the theatre as seen when sitting below the screen. If it appears unusually bright, it’s because I used a flash. I could afford that since Meet the Fockers didn’t exactly bring the hordes in. 24 pictures »

al_lude — Mar 18, 2005 8:14:14 AM — # ↩

wow!
wanted to be there myself but forgot!
braindead_itsme — Mar 18, 2005 8:32:44 AM — # ↩

Have lived all my life in bangalore and hate to see such changes. My dad went to movies at plaza, i continued in his foot steps. Guess the steps stop here. :(. But a nice snap, is it ok if i use it. Just as an add on to my personal collection.
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 18, 2005 8:52:05 AM — # ↩
  
  But a nice snap, is it ok if i use it.
  
  Sure, feel free to. If you're bothered about specific terms, it's CC by-nc-sa.
  - braindead_itsme — Mar 18, 2005 9:20:54 AM — # ↩
    
    hey thanks, yeap i found that its under Creative Commons licence. A bit later actually, after posting that msg, i checked out all other snaps and saw their licence. Hey those 24 snaps are wonderful. Guess this how we lose our heritage. Strange, yet true, we indeed dig our own graves.
ashwinne — Mar 18, 2005 9:29:19 AM — # ↩

*sigh* Plaza will be missed!
- deepak — Mar 18, 2005 10:38:28 AM — # ↩
  
  Many talkies are going that way. Another casualty is Apsara theatre near City Market, which is now 'Janopakari Doddanna Hall'. Remember Shivaji Talkies on JC Road? And the one opp. Janata Bazaar on KG Road? Why, try Shanti talkies near your own Jayanagar! I watched 'Nanjundi Kalyana' twice there. The second time, it was first show and I was sleepy and my father carried me all the way to I Block East.
  
  Such changes are inevitable, perhaps. I am not a regular movie-goer, but theatres are far less crowded these days. Add to it the possibility of making lakhs and crores by selling the land and turning it into a mega mall, and the idea is all the more enchanting.
  - ashwinne — Mar 18, 2005 10:44:53 AM — # ↩
    
    The next to go surely will be the Uma theatre in Jayanagar (near NMKRV college).
    - Anonymous — Mar 18, 2005 11:15:40 AM — # ↩
      
      You're looking for Nanda, Uma is in Basavangudi / Chamrajpet area!
      - ashwinne — Mar 18, 2005 11:17:04 AM — # ↩
        
        My bad! You are right!
  - Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 18, 2005 12:53:05 PM — # ↩
    
    Notice the watch shop next to the foyer? Lawrence said that chap was getting 1 crore as settlement. Imagine what the whole place must be going for.
    - deepak — Mar 18, 2005 2:01:27 PM — # ↩
      
      > Imagine what the whole place must be going for.
      I wonder if the owner had made that much money in all these years of film-showing, even after adjusting for inflation. :-)
      - Anonymous — Dec 24, 2005 1:36:48 AM — # ↩
        
        !was just surfing the net and came upon your article on the plaza theatre. i/wonder if you knew Alex Noronha who finished his b comm in 1963 from ST josephs college and opened up a tire e=selling place.
        i graduated with him in 1963 and moved to canada in 1973. lost all contact with him. Please reply if you wish to jnoronha@eldoradogroup.com
devnoronha — Mar 18, 2005 9:42:16 AM — # ↩

My dad will be very upset by this news. He grew up in a bungalow on Rest House Road next to Imperial Theater . For those new to Bangalore, Imperial theater was opposite Imperial Restaurant (who doesnt know that) on Residency ROad. Then they started screening C grade movies and finally the old building gave way to the mall thats opened up there. He would jump over the wall with his friends to watch movies when low on dough :)
I'll miss the foyer area of Plaza overlooking MG Road. Fascinated by that wooden flooring.
- Anonymous — Dec 24, 2005 1:43:11 AM — # ↩
  
  maybe isent a reply to the wrong place, iwas just surfing the net and came upon your notes iwonder if you knew alex noronha who graduated fom college in 1963 from St joseph iwas a classmate of his and moved to canada in 1973. maybe you are related to him and if you please to you can reply to me at Jnoronha@eldoradogroup.com excuse the small mistakes in grammer as i am in a hurry
  - devnoronha — Dec 26, 2005 2:56:41 PM — # ↩
    
    my dad says he was his classmate. but according to him he is in Bamgalroe and running his own business and not in Canada as you mention. My dad passed out of st josephs in 1963 , so i'm assuming this is the same Alex noronha.
    - Kiran Jonnalagadda — Dec 26, 2005 5:41:57 PM — # ↩
      
      I think Mr Anonymous was explaining that he moved to Canada and not Mr Alex Noronha. If you haven't already, perhaps you should mail him? I doubt he'll come back to look for replies to his comment.
tsk1979 — Mar 18, 2005 9:51:17 AM — # ↩

On the other hand...
Whenever i went to plaza it felt that this place will fall down any time soon. They just preponed the destruction.
- dhempe — Mar 18, 2005 11:55:20 AM — # ↩
  
  Re: On the other hand...
  yeah i felt that way too. :) and they used to charge exhoribantly!
  
  the best experience is to have a bit of vodka and sit in the balcony. you will feel as if you are gonna fall down any minute ! ;)
birdonthewire — Mar 18, 2005 9:57:06 AM — # ↩

Nice Snaps. Evocative.
deepsan — Mar 18, 2005 10:48:31 AM — # ↩

Nice pics but I am sure I am not going to miss the Plaza, had gone there for one film and the sound sucked.
chetan — Mar 18, 2005 11:43:26 AM — # ↩

I thought you said driving to MG Road was such a pain. Dude!
ashvinm — Mar 18, 2005 11:57:27 AM — # ↩

I sure will miss it. I used to go there during my college days with bchandan. I guess old gives way for the new.
dhempe — Mar 18, 2005 11:57:39 AM — # ↩

Is that girl on the left actually sitting on her boy friend's lap?
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 18, 2005 12:29:40 PM — # ↩
  
  Nope. She's reaching over for his popcorn, and he's sitting cross-legged with his knee on her lap. However, she did look like a lot like Angelina Jolie, given her eyes, lips, chin and dreadlocks.
  - dhempe — Mar 18, 2005 12:47:31 PM — # ↩
    
    the illusions of photography ! :)
noelladsa — Mar 18, 2005 11:59:41 AM — # ↩

This is sad news my dad used to go there too.Feels like some place of 'emotional' if not historical value is going down.Ofcourse Plaza didn't you the ideal movie experience by a long shot.
latelyontime — Mar 18, 2005 1:47:02 PM — # ↩

Nice pics...I saw it and I was like..huh? they allowed you to do that? Didnt know plaza was shutting down and am not particularly sorry it is really. I guess it comes from not spending enough time in bangalore but I must say that ever since I came here I have never been very happy with most of the theatres around...I mean they just have different standards in Ahmedabad where the theatres are much better to sit in and watch.

However the shutting down of a theatre is a nostalgic thing. i am sure that for people who have spent a lot of time watching some of the best movie they remember (Meet the fockers does not come in that category) would have wanted to visit the theatre for old times' sake. I must get in touch with Surabhi and see if she will give me a copy of the films that she has made. It might help me make a better argument in some of my teaching courses :)
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 18, 2005 2:45:54 PM — # ↩
  
  Nice pics...I saw it and I was like..huh? they allowed you to do that?
  
  Trust Lawrence to open all doors. Those chaps were quite pleased to let us do whatever we wanted.
  - latelyontime — Mar 18, 2005 4:16:29 PM — # ↩
    
    the Liang factor? :)
    
    I guess now that they are closing down it doesnt really matter too much.
    
    Remind me to tell you about the picture taking problems I had at the forum - not in the pvr but in the shopping area, when I had taken a bunch of students on a field trip. it was a whole publicness debate that got resolved through sheer consumerism!
joshmachine — Mar 18, 2005 2:30:13 PM — # ↩

this post is apt for bangalore community. nice shots
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 18, 2005 2:43:31 PM — # ↩
  
  You can always post a link there. ;-)
basrya — Mar 18, 2005 6:44:11 PM — # ↩

In all probabilities it will have a movie hall since most regulations maintain that rebuilding any structure over an existing cinema hall must house a movie hall as a part of the re-development.

And yeah, the monies invloved are huge! I read somewhere that a watchman who refused move during a demolition, since he had been staying put for over 20 years, was paid 30 lakhs in settlement. Ironically he wasn't given cash but was given a flat worth that much by the same builder. Now that's destiny :)
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 19, 2005 1:12:06 AM — # ↩
  
  In all probabilities it will have a movie hall since most regulations maintain that rebuilding any structure over an existing cinema hall must house a movie hall as a part of the re-development.
  
  That's interesting. Is there any reasoning for that? Does the law still consider movie halls an important media outlet, given TV has long since taken over?
  
  What with the entertainment tax we used to have here (IIRC, 100%), it seemed like the government considered them a luxury unsuitable for the masses, not something to be preserved.
  - basrya — Mar 19, 2005 12:27:00 PM — # ↩
    
    Not sure what the philosphy behind this is but I guess if the single screen is not able to make money, with this he can atleast capitalise on the space that he occupies.
    
    And you are right about the high levels of Entertainment tax. Infact the archaic rules under which these tax levels are levied have been listed, puts movie watching in the same league as gambling :p
kalyancreddy — Mar 18, 2005 9:14:37 PM — # ↩

I saw the pics, was amused by the projector room. I felt sad to see the pic of the staff (don't know why, seemed to convey some kind of sorrowful emotion), what happens to them now?
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 19, 2005 1:06:39 AM — # ↩
  
  The popcorn guy mentioned being around for a while. I guess to help with dismantling whatever can be sold. Don't know what happens after.
pavismaya — Mar 19, 2005 12:14:39 AM — # ↩

Gosh....thats bad...

I have had some reallly good moments of my life there, it was also the first ever theatre i went to a movie with friends.

hmmm
i guess
Changes are the only thing permanent in life .

who ever said that !
konstantkarma — Mar 19, 2005 9:28:05 AM — # ↩

despeckle
Hey..

Did you use the Despeckle plugin of GIMP? I have been in same situations before (less light, no tripod) and have shot in ISO-1600. The Despeckle plugin is really solid in removing the grains! Just in case :-)
- Kiran Jonnalagadda — Mar 19, 2005 10:36:30 AM — # ↩
  
  Re: despeckle
  Not tried that, but have used NeatImage, which also does it very well, but only runs on Windows (looks like they have a Mac version too now).
themadman — Mar 19, 2005 5:34:42 PM — # ↩

Plaza is 69 years old.

And it looks every bit the part. For a rickety old place with cobwebs, no air-conditioning, and lousy seats, they sure charged a lot of money.

Sorry, I don't feel anything for it going away.

(Lido, I thought was a far better theatre, though it rarely got good English movies.)
hackorama — Mar 19, 2005 9:38:48 PM — # ↩

Sad to see plaza go
Sad to see the good old Plaza go. Still remember watching Pulp Fiction 3 times in a row there, thanks for the photos.
idea49 — Mar 20, 2005 7:56:29 AM — # ↩

Hey enjoyed the documentation... really nice... some pics are really good...
i feel sad when old buildings and things are just ripped apart to make place for the new!! dont know why but... but i feel sad...
arvindh_d — Apr 9, 2005 9:07:23 AM — # ↩

Sad news indeed
That's one theatre I liked a lot - irespective of shoddy seating, sound et al. Some of the classiest movies I've watched were in this hall and not Rex/Symphony which were always more consumerist.
I haven't been in bangalore for a couple of years and watching a movie at plaza would have been on my list as and when I would set foot on Bendakaluru soil - well, won't work out now.