When a Kerala Facebook collective brought Rajinikanth’s iconic Baashha roaring back in a throwback to analogue cinema
The screening was about more than the superstar or the film. It was an attempt to recreate the movie-going experience of pre-digital era and draw attention to a fast disappearing world of film reels, projectors and theatre jobs
Theatre Diaries, a collective composed of individuals connected to movie theatres, is resurrecting the analogue cinema era in Kerala with a screening of Rajinikanth's 1995 Tamil hit Baashha. On August 5, the group showcased the film at Kripa theatre in Kurumassery near Perumbavoor, aiming to revive the pre-digital movie-going experience and raise awareness about the vanishing world of film reels, projectors, and theatre jobs.
Despite the free entry, attendees lined up at the ticket counter to obtain complimentary passes. Arun Arvind, manager of Kripa theatre and one of the 11 admins of the Facebook collective, explained, "We distributed complimentary passes through the ticket counter, where viewers queued up to collect them." The screening took on an additional nostalgic touch as the film reel was transported to the venue on a bicycle.
Theatre employees with years of experience were honored at the event, highlighting the significance of those who maintained the machinery and facilitated the shows. The analogue screening did not come without challenges. Theatre owner Anto Ilanjippilli provided two analogue projectors, one of which required restoration by a technician after several days of effort.
Ironically, the collective's initial choice of a Malayalam film did not pan out due to the unavailability of a high-quality reel. Prasob Nannammukku, another admin, noted, "We wanted to screen a Malayalam film but could not find a quality reel. In the analogue era, Malayalam films were mostly produced in Chennai, and original prints and negatives were often sold to labs and damaged due to lack of proper preservation."
This difficulty in sourcing old Malayalam prints underscores the collective's broader concern. As cinema transitioned to digital projection, countless reels, projectors, and the expertise to operate them faded away. This decline also led to the disappearance of numerous jobs linked to theatre operations. The audience's positive reaction to the inaugural show prompted Theatre Diaries to schedule another screening of Baashha on August 16, with numerous requests for additional screenings flooding in.
The collective, however, views the screenings as just one facet of their mission. They intend to organize more events centered around the history of theatres and the technological transformations that have reshaped the industry. "Families who visit theatres during holidays for entertainment often overlook the behind-the-scenes workers who give up time with their own families," said Arun Arvind.
The collective aspires to build an extensive archive documenting the history and evolution of theatres, including those that have closed down. Their goal is to gather comprehensive data to serve as a valuable resource for future studies on theatres, as explained by Prasob Nannammukku, who also contributes weekly columns to the collective's Facebook page.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
