Its curtains on Plaza Theatre

Now, it’s curtains on Plaza theatre
The Times of India

Bangalore: And now, lights fade out on the famed Plaza.

After Galaxy, Lido, Blu Moon and Blu Diamond, the Plaza cinema on M.G. Road, a haunt for English cine-buffs since 1936, will down shutters this April. Instead of the giant house with the screen that brought alive Liz Taylor, Gregory Peck, Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, the cinema house will now likely have a shopping complex.

“Yes, we’re downing shutters. We’re looking for a joint development deal from a reputed builder for our complex project,’’ theatre owner A.K. Niranjan Narrain told The Times of India on Thursday.

The land where Plaza stands was bought by Niranjan’s great grandfather Arcot Narrain Swamy Mudaliyar in early 1900. Niranjan’s father A.S. Krishnamurthy Mudaliar built a theatre in 1936, that has since serenaded the Hollywood in all its glamour, warts and all. “Narraian Mudaliyar was the contractor who built Attara Kacheri (the high court building). From profit made out of it, he bought land on M.G. Road,’’ Niranjan said.

Besides Plaza, Narrain Mudaliyar owned several prime properties in the town. Since he didn’t have children, his brothers and their children inherited the property.

Not too long ago, there were five theatres — New Empire (the building where Arya Bhavan Sweets is located), Liberty (building next to FoodWorld), Blu Moon, Blu Diamond (Purva Pavilion Complex) and Plaza — on M.G. Road between Anil Kumble Junction and Cauvery Handicrafts Circle, a stretch of a few hundred metres. Now, Plaza too has succumbed to the winds of change.

“Competition to bag good movies has become tough and expensive. People want AC, capsule lifts and other amenities in the theatre. Investing on amenities won’t guarantee profits. Except me, no other brother or cousin is interested in this business. All these prompted us to shut shop,’’ Niranjan said.

During the War, British soldiers would watch English movies during the day and turn it into a dance floor in the night. If the theatre was packed, then soldiers would get their own chairs to watched movies.

Of the several theatres in the M.G. Road area, only Rex and Symphony have stood upright — so far. Lido is morphing into a multiplex with shopping mall, and the same is expected of Galaxy.

Niranjan just can’t shrug off his first love: “If the builder wants a small theatre on our premises along with the complex, we’ve no objections.’’ Plaza sprawls out on 17,000-sqft area with access from both M.G. Road and Church Street.

A ROYAL TOUCH

In 1959, the Mysore Maharaja, Nalwadi Krishnarajendra Wodeyar, came to Plaza to watch 10 Commandments. The entire balcony was reserved for the royal entourage. “He wanted to buy tickets, but we’d have none of it,’’ recalls theatre owner Niranjan, then a 16-year-old.
Celebrity couple, Dharmendra and Hema Malini, too watched movies here, he adds.