Chennai’s Anand Theatre was the ‘OG’ for the city’s old film-buffs
The Anand theatre in Mount Road was the one to stake its claim as “the first 70mm theatre of South India”
In 1964, the Madras State saw two 70mm theatres in close succession, but Anand theatre claimed the title of being the first 70mm theatre in South India. Built on Mount Road by G. Umapathy, the owner of Uma Printers, the theatre was inaugurated by former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj on August 22, 1964. Two days later, El Cid, a historical drama, premiered at Anand and attracted many notable personalities, including then Madras State Chief Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam.
For many Chennai film buffs, Anand was more than just a cinema house, but a ritual where they would go to watch English films. Arjun Mathuranayagam, a dermatologist and resident of Chennai, recalls being taken to the theatre by his parents, both avid film enthusiasts. Mathuranayagam remembers Anand holding the record for the longest unbroken run of an English movie in Madras history - Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, which played for 54 weeks.
The massive, deeply curved screen allowed for a fully immersive 70mm Super Panavision projection experience.
As time passed, Little Anand theatre was built in the same complex to screen Tamil films such as Vennira Aadai. Retired Chennai resident Rajamani Rajkumar fondly remembers the proximity of the two theatres allowing him to faintly hear the dialogues from the film playing next door. He recalls watching films like Arabesque and 2001: Space Odyssey at Anand and meeting theatre owner G. Umapathy after watching the latter film.
Snacks were sold at the theatre, but many also visited McRennett nearby before heading to the film. During the 60s and 70s, Anand drew a disciplined crowd who watched films with great enthusiasm and respect.
However, by the 1990s, the crowd began to thin, and in the early 2000s, Anand saw its profits significantly affected by movie piracy. All screenings were permanently stopped, and the theatre was removed from Mount Road. Although the physical structure is no more, the name Anand still lives on through a bus stop and the memories of the city's old film buffs.
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