If you grew up in Delhi in the 90s, you would probably relate to the charm of watching a Bollywood film at one of the city's iconic single-screen theatres. For me and my family, whether it was at Regal or at Liberty Cinema, moviegoing was a Sunday ritual.
One of my earliest and most vivid movie-watching memories is watching Om Shanti Om at Liberty Cinema in Delhi. After having watched some of the films I watched at those single-screen theatres several times, I have come to realise that it wasn't just the films themselves that were special, but also the energy at the hall that led me to cherish those experiences for so long. The same experiences are the ones that turned me into the Bollywood buff I am.
Even today, as I rewatch a film, which I experienced for the first time on a single-screen, I can feel the energy of those initial viewings. The collective gasps during the hero's dramatic entries, the thunderous applause, and the palpable excitement during songs remain clear in my mind.
The Evolution of the 'Movie Theatre' Experience in India
Single-screen theaters made their debut in India with the opening of Chaplin Cinema in Kolkata in 1907. Soon, these theaters sprang up in other major cities across the country, becoming the primary source of entertainment.
By 1980, there were 6,368 permanent and 4,024 temporary 'touring' theaters in India, as noted in the Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema.
These theatres were characterised, specifically, by their communal watching experiences. This was also the era when Amitabh Bachchan dominated the big screen; his presence inspired such a physical reaction from single-screen patrons of the time. He became the face of the angsty common man willing to question the system, a representative of the Indian masses who were disillusioned after the Emergency period.
“In a newly independent country taking its early steps as a Democracy, cinema proved a great equaliser – have-nots watched the same film as the more privileged ones, at the same time and place.”Ziya Us Salam, Delhi 4 Shows: Talkies of Yesteryear
The halls were filled with families and lovers meeting in secrecy. It was common practice for the audience to holler, whistle, clap, and throw coins during a film. As vendors hawked refreshments like cold drinks, chai, samosas, and fried burgers, 1000-seat auditoriums burst over capacity.
Strangers cracked jokes and discussed the twists and turns to come during the intermission and viewers collectively experienced an emotional journey through the movie.
The Realities of Caste, Class and Communal Divide Within the Theatre
The space described as the “great equaliser” came with its own compromises. The single-screen theatres were not an egalitarian site which existed beyond the class, religion, caste, and gender stratifications of Indian society. The 'Balcony' was reserved for elite members of society whilst the 'Rear Stalls' were usually occupied by the working poor.
In some instances, entire halls were segregated on account of religious communities living in ghettos. The Jagat Talkies was established in the Meena Bazar area of Delhi to cater to a Muslim clientele in opposition to Moti Talkies which was mostly visited by the Hindus of Chandni Chowk.
Despite these differences and stratification, the phenomenological encounter with film as a medium was one that had shades of obscenities, laughter, hooting etc. where the audience were not passive receptacles to whatever was shown on the silver screen but an active reciprocator to whatever their senses could perceive.
Effects of the 1991 Economic Reforms on Theatres
The movie theatre experience encountered a major setback with the advent of the liberalisation of the Indian economy. The economic reforms undertaken in 1991 leading to the booming industries, bigger cities and proliferation of white-collar service sector jobs left its effects on the patterns of film consumption.
The limited choice of film screenings, hard benches, the hygiene of the food served and the lack of modern amenities such as air conditioners and the latest sound systems in the theatres were no longer acceptable to the middle class.
There were also concerns about one’s ‘safety’ within the corridors of a single screen – a euphemism often used to express discomfort with the diverse socio-economic mix of patrons.
The Multiplex Revolution
The launch of PVR Anupam in the up-market Saket district of New Delhi, promised to bring about a ‘Multiplex Revolution’ in the country in 1997. It was the result of refurbishment of a large old theatre into a multi-screen site modelled on an ‘international standard’ and charging five times the balcony price at a regular theatre.
PVR Anupam proved highly popular with an upper-middle class crowd and became one of Delhi’s most profitable cinemas over the last decade. Its success prompted numerous industry players to reassess the untapped potential within India's exhibition landscape, where myriad small, independently operated single-screen theatres continued to primarily serve audiences.
It, however, came at the cost of effectively pricing out and excluding lower-income groups, creating a more homogeneous, middle-class audience.
The Birth of 'Cinema of Sophistication'
The onset of the Multiplex Revolution along with the newfound modernity of globalisation brought in an entirely new genre which could be called the ‘cinema of sophistication.’
The production of films like Dil Chahta Hai and Rang De Basanti in the 2000s exemplified this shift, catering specifically to the urban, wealthy, and educated multiplex audience.
These films explored nuanced themes of a complicated urban life like modern friendship, individual aspirations, and social responsibility that resonated with the middle and upper-middle-class youth.
The films that were predominantly screened at multiplexes, however, did not call for an active engagement with the medium itself; the audience engagement with the 'sophisticated' cinema became an individualised, isolated, passive, and subdued activity, marking a stark difference from the products of the cinema produced for the single-screens.
Multiplexes also skipped out on multiple B-grade films that were often produced for the working classes, stratifying the film-watching experience and creating a more restrictive environment for cinema consumption in India.
This transformation not only changed the content of films but also fundamentally altered the cinema-going experience.
The Dwindling Condition of Single Screen Theatres
Out of the 80 single-screen theatres that once thrived in Delhi, only 3 remain functional.
In a conversation with The Quint, Virender Antil, the manager of Amba Cinema, one of the remaining 3 single-screen theatres of Delhi, explained,
"People who live here cannot afford the tickets to a multiplex, but here you can watch your film and have snacks for 200 rupees. You wouldn't even get a ticket for that much in a multiplex."
"Single screen lovers single-screen par hi aate hai" (Single-screen lovers always come back to single screens).Virender Antil, Manager, Amba Cinema
However, change seems inevitable. Talking about the future of the theatre, Virender explained they might consider redeveloping the theater into a multiplex in the coming years to cater to the changing urban audience, especially as the Shakti Nagar area witnesses the development of metro lines and urban residential complexes.
The dying of single screen-theatres is not just about the closure of physical spaces, but about the waning of a particular form of cultural expression and social interaction.
With it fades the communal magic of single-screens, their boisterous audiences, and socio-economic diversity. To keep the real magic of the movies, and their watching experience, alive, we must consider what has been gained and what has been lost.
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