Published on November 26, 2023
Ahmedabad: More than half a century ago, before television slowly killed them off, the walled city boasted of four cinema halls per square kilometre. That was the time little else was available as entertainment and the lure of large, wide screens dictated people’s weekend schedules.
Gaurang Vyas, a city-based lawyer, reminisces about the glorious 1960s and 1970s. “We had a galaxy of cinemas ranging from Lighthouse, Allen, Novelty and Laxmi near Kalupur to Pratap and Central near Gheekanta among several others. With almost no other means of entertainment, several movies got repeat viewings and catching first-day-first-show was a matter of pride.
“Advance screened English movies, whereas Relief was known for family entertainers,” recollects Vyas, a movie aficionado.
By 2000s, the era ended with the majority of theatres paving the way for commercial complexes. The audience also changed, said Vyas.
As World Heritage Week got over on November 25, a project by Centre for Heritage Conservation (CHC) took a different lens to look at the UNESCO World Heritage City’s legacy in the form of theatres and cinema halls. Tanvi Jain, a student of Master of Conservation and Regeneration (MCR) at CEPT University, carried out her research on the theme ‘Utilising the cultural footprint of cinemas and theatres of Ahmedabad as public places.’
Her research indicated that the area of 5.4 square kilometres – the inscribed area and buffer zone of the heritage city – was one upon a time home to 20 cinema halls and two theatres for staging plays. It means that there were roughly four cinema halls per square kilometre. In comparison, today’s city area has 43-odd theatres and multiplexes, giving a ratio of 0.8 theatres per square kilometre.
“Out of 22, only Ashok Cinema has remained standing today in the walled city area. All else has got consumed by the commercial buildings. I visited these locations and talked to several of the former employees of these establishments. They include doorkeepers and projectionists who are often working as security staff or office helps at the same spots. My survey also included visitors to these cinemas who have fond memories,” said Jain.
She pointed out that both the performance spaces – Premabhai Hall in Bhadra Plaza and Jaishankar Sundari Hall in Raikhad – are closed. “Jaishankar Sundari Hall has seen resurgence but has again got closed. We have suggested alternative usage for the space for its rejuvenation,” she added.
The timeline she created with help of available sources indicates that the city had its first brush with films in 1910 when a moving cinema had come to town. It took 17 years for it to get an address in the form of the Grand Theatre or English Cinema in 1927. The period till the end of 1940s is marked by references to theatres for staging plays – one such space was ‘Bharat Bhuvan Theatre’ in Gheekanta area. The next decade saw the explosion of cinemas as known names such as Relief, Roopalee and Rupam got inaugurated. The newly-independent nation was hungry for entertainment and three major clusters – Gheekanta with its courts and schools, and Gandhi Road and Relief Road with its bustling markets – saw the highest concentration of new modes of entertainment.
“I got to know that Ashok Cinema was the site of a theatre staging plays before its present avatar. The nearby ‘Ashok Cinema ni Chawl’ used to house the actors. The structure of the cinema gives a glimpse of a single-screen cinema of yore. Our proposal includes its resurgence that can give a glimpse of the city’s legacy of heritage and its love for movies,” said Jain.
Experts point at the multiplex era that started with Fun Republic in Ahmedabad in 2001 as a marked shift in the entertainment business. Demolition of the majority of single-screen cinemas by 2014-15 ended an era chronicled by Jain.
Some of the anecdotes collected during the project remembered the age of ‘Lalas’ or security guards stationed to control unruly crowds, peripheral economy ranging from snacks to movie collectibles such as song books, the long queues for blockbusters, and craze for superstars.
“We no longer go to cinemas, as it has now got constricted to the mobile screens. The tickets are no longer affordable, and it does not provide the ‘feel’ of a ‘cinema.’ The showering of 25 and 50 paisa from the balcony and the sound of papad for 15-20 minutes after intervals would not be experienced by today’s generation. When I talk about movies, it’s always the 1970s and 1980s – the craze could not be matched by today’s blockbusters,” said Jaydev Parmar, 65, a resident of Khadia.
Brief history of theatre and cinema in Ahmedabad
1878: The first theatre group as ‘Arya Subodh Natak Mandali’ was formed
1910: First theatre in Ahmedabad came up as travelling cinema
1921: Bhakta Vidur by Kanji Rathod became first film banned by the British due to songs with patriotic tint
1927: The travelling cinema got a permanent address as ‘Grand Theatre’ also identified as English Cinema
1930: Construction of Premabhai Hall completed
1937: Rangbhoomi Parishad or confederation of all drama companies formed in city
1939: Town Hall got inaugurated along with landmarks such as Sardar Bridge and Gandhi Bridge in city
1949: City saw establishment of Natya Vidya Mandir to teach drama properly. Jayshankar ‘Sundari’ was appointed as head of initiative by likes of GV Mavalankar and Rasiklal Parikh
1951: Relief Cinema opened
1952: Roopalee Cinema opened
1969: After riots, English Cinema burnt down, but people contributed to its restoration the same year
1973: Drive-In Cinema inaugurated
1974: Apsara-Aradhna twin cinema inaugurated
1976: New Premabhai Hall inaugurated
1982: Thakorbhai Desai Hall inaugurated
1994: Natrani theatre was constructed as part of Darpan Academy of Performing Arts
1999: Tagore Hall and Town Hall renovated
2001: First multiplex of city ‘Fun Republic’ inaugurated
2013: Relief Cinema closed
2014: Roopalee Cinema closed, demolished
2015: Rupam Cinema closed to pave way for multiplex
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