‘The End’ for Cauvery, 50-year-old movie hall in Bengaluru

Cauvery, the single-screen theatre in Sadashivanagar, has shut down to make way for a commercial complex.

Built on a 1.5 acre plot, it was known for its generous parking, and could
seat 1,100.

The centrally located Cauvery has been a hub for films across languages — Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. Rajkumar’s ‘Bangarada Panjara’ was the first film shown there, when it opened on January 11, 1974. The five-decade journey came to an end with the Hindi action thriller ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ on April 20.

Darshan Thoogudeepa’s ‘Kaatera’ was the last Kannada film shown at Cauvery.

“I have an abundance of memories,” says Prakash Narasimhaiah, who took over running of the theatre from his father in 1995. He remembers Kannada icon Rajkumar inaugurating the theatre in 1995 after a renovation.

“We have had many film personalities coming to our theatre — Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Yash Chopra,” he reminisces. “Some films were even shot inside.” Prakash says Cauvery was Puneeth Rajkumar’s favourite theatre. When Bachchan’s ‘Deewar’ (1975) was released in Cauvery, he visited the theatre.

The theatre brings back nostalgic memories to many.

“The experience of watching a movie with 1,000 people is beyond the imagination of the present generation,” says Krishna Prasad, movie buff.

Theatre owners say they witnessed a huge decline in business after the Covid-19 outbreak. Running and maintaining single-screen cinemas has become a struggle, many say.

“Our big heroes should make at least two films a year. Sudeep hasn’t made a film in so long. Darshan makes two films a year sometimes. When there are not many good local films, it becomes a problem to maintain the space,” says Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) president and film producer
N M Suresh.

Theatre owners are also burdened by property tax, he says.

For film buffs, the memories are pleasant. Prasad says, “The first thing that comes to one’s mind about single screen theatres is the long queue, which sometimes extends beyond the premises. But no matter how crowded Cauvery got, the queue would remain within its premises.”

“It was also a theatre that was prompt in its payments to producers. It’s very sad that the theatre is being brought down today. It’s a loss to Kannada cinema,” Suresh adds.

“We’ve taken this decision with a heavy heart, but we don’t have a choice,” Prakash Narasimhaiah says.

Cauvery joins a long list of popular Bengaluru cinemas that have closed down in recent decades: Kapali, Tribhuvan, Kempegowda, Minerva, Himalaya, Majestic, Kalpana, Nalanda, Imperial, Swagath, Pallavi, Plaza, Galaxy, Rex, Liberty, Ajanta, Apsara, Sagar, Kino and Movieland among others.