Watching Movies at the Tent Kotta
Last week I went along with my kids to a Multiplex to watch a Tamil Movie. While, I was physically watching the movie, emotionally I went back in time to those days when I enjoyed watching Cinema at Vijaya Talkies - simply known as Tent Kotta.
Vijaya Talkies is The Social Event for every family in the neighbourhood. I will be looking out eagerly for the "Indru Mudal" Posters that announced the arrival of a new movie at Vijaya Talkies. We always buy the "bench' ticket and catch up on Gulebagavalli, Kathavarayan, Thiruvilayadal, Alibaba, and so many exciting movies. They were so lengthy that I will invariably go to sleep on my mother's lap after the interval murukku.Sometimes, there will be the "cowboy' movies with exotic titles like Gun Fight Kanchana, Revolver Reeta, Jakkamma etc, where a curvaceous heroine of the day used to entertain everyone with logic defying stunts and acrobatic dance movements.
The atmosphere in the 'tent' itself is something which I still remember. It is always open air, with gentle breeze blowing from all directions. the ground or 'thara' ticket - families, the 'bench' where we used to sit and the all mighty Chairs reserved only for the rich and bigwigs of the community. The air will be filled with the stench of beedi smoke mingling with fragrance of the jasmine flowers. Dogs used to freely roam around and nibble at your feet in anticipation of tidbits falling from your lap. The Cinema of those years had numerous songs and invariably, the moment a song is played, almost the entire crowd will just walk out and return only after the song has ended. This was ritually followed even in other theatres of that day.
People cheered and jeered without any inhibition . When the customary "Vanakkam' is put and the screen went blank, those sitting on the ground will express themselves by throwing the sand up towards the screen. You cannot make out if they are excited or disappointed with the movie. Generator in Vijaya Talkies came in much later, till then if there was a power cut, we had no option but to get back home in the moonlight and return the next day (same ticket is valid) to catch up again.On particular festival days, there will be 3 back to back shows stretching beyond mid night into the wee hours of the morning!
Back then, when there was no TV, or Home Video, you have to go out to the theatre to watch a movie. It was unadulterated fun. No modern day hassles of traffic jam - we just walked to the Tent! No parking woes, no scramble to buy astronomically priced pop-corn, the vendors will be circulating deftly among the seats and you just have to raise your hand and he will come to you!
As the years passed by, Vijaya Talkies closed down for good - giving way to the AC theatres that became more accessible. Today, it is only a distant but vivid memory. I am not going to compare the experience of watching a movie in Tent Kotta in 1970s and watching a movie in a plush multiplex in 2012, but the very thought of the simple joys I enjoyed as a child in good old Vijaya Talkies - is absolutely priceless.
Vijaya Talkies is The Social Event for every family in the neighbourhood. I will be looking out eagerly for the "Indru Mudal" Posters that announced the arrival of a new movie at Vijaya Talkies. We always buy the "bench' ticket and catch up on Gulebagavalli, Kathavarayan, Thiruvilayadal, Alibaba, and so many exciting movies. They were so lengthy that I will invariably go to sleep on my mother's lap after the interval murukku.Sometimes, there will be the "cowboy' movies with exotic titles like Gun Fight Kanchana, Revolver Reeta, Jakkamma etc, where a curvaceous heroine of the day used to entertain everyone with logic defying stunts and acrobatic dance movements.
The atmosphere in the 'tent' itself is something which I still remember. It is always open air, with gentle breeze blowing from all directions. the ground or 'thara' ticket - families, the 'bench' where we used to sit and the all mighty Chairs reserved only for the rich and bigwigs of the community. The air will be filled with the stench of beedi smoke mingling with fragrance of the jasmine flowers. Dogs used to freely roam around and nibble at your feet in anticipation of tidbits falling from your lap. The Cinema of those years had numerous songs and invariably, the moment a song is played, almost the entire crowd will just walk out and return only after the song has ended. This was ritually followed even in other theatres of that day.
People cheered and jeered without any inhibition . When the customary "Vanakkam' is put and the screen went blank, those sitting on the ground will express themselves by throwing the sand up towards the screen. You cannot make out if they are excited or disappointed with the movie. Generator in Vijaya Talkies came in much later, till then if there was a power cut, we had no option but to get back home in the moonlight and return the next day (same ticket is valid) to catch up again.On particular festival days, there will be 3 back to back shows stretching beyond mid night into the wee hours of the morning!
Back then, when there was no TV, or Home Video, you have to go out to the theatre to watch a movie. It was unadulterated fun. No modern day hassles of traffic jam - we just walked to the Tent! No parking woes, no scramble to buy astronomically priced pop-corn, the vendors will be circulating deftly among the seats and you just have to raise your hand and he will come to you!
As the years passed by, Vijaya Talkies closed down for good - giving way to the AC theatres that became more accessible. Today, it is only a distant but vivid memory. I am not going to compare the experience of watching a movie in Tent Kotta in 1970s and watching a movie in a plush multiplex in 2012, but the very thought of the simple joys I enjoyed as a child in good old Vijaya Talkies - is absolutely priceless.
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