A legendary theatre on Anna Salai becomes a corporate hub

Anna Salai in Chennai, once a bustling thoroughfare filled with traffic and work deadlines, once held a different kind of allure. The road was home to a legendary theatre called Shanti, which held the hearts of generations of moviegoers. The theatre, built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, was inaugurated in January 1961 by then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj.

The Shanti Theatre, costing ₹20 lakh to build, seated 1,200 people and featured a vast balcony with nearly 400 seats. It was the largest single-screen theatre of its time, fully air-conditioned, and boasted an impressive parking facility. Film industry analyst Sreedhar Pillai recalled, "I would say it had a lavish car park. Everything about this theatre was good."

The theatre was honored with premieres of numerous films, including "Gone with the Wind," "Ivanhoe," and "Drums of Destiny." One of its most remarkable records was the 888-day run of "Chandramukhi," starring Rajinikanth and Prabhu, the actor Sivaji Ganesan's youngest son. Actor and writer Mohan Raman recalled, "When it opened, it was the largest single-screen theatre. It had the biggest balcony at the time, with nearly 400 seats. It was fully air-conditioned, and the car parking facility was very good."

After its closing, the Shanti Theatre transformed into a prime office space for multinational firms, leaving behind a legacy of entertainment that once thrummed with the echoes of whistles, applause, and film songs.