The Rise and Fall of Plaza cinema

If you are a Bangalorean, or lived in Bangalore even for a brief period of time, you obviously know what I am talking about. For others, Plaza is an old theatre complex on M.G.Road,in downtown Bangalore (closed now).



Why I am discussing this? Because, the location of Plaza will serve as a station for Bangalore Metro East-West corridor in the future. (Though the future is still far far away) and I am feeling both happy and sad. Anyway, the theatre was already closed and I believe a multiplex or a mall has opened there. Am I right guys?

The theatre premises used to be a venue for ball dances for English soldiers in 1930s. Later, it was converted to a movie theatre, screening mostly good movies first and later, only movies which sucked. No, I am not talking about B-grade movies, but basically, movies that sucked, not all, mind you. And I have been a victim of seeing only sad movies in this theatre. I dont know why, if ever a good movie was released, it was either exam time or it was already available on CD and I did not have enough money to watch it in the theatre. However, these movies were few in number. Some of the movies I remember watching in Plaza:

1) Chal mere Bhai - an insult to Hindi cinema and Sanjay Dutt, with routine acting by Salman Khan. This movie was "recommended" by Meghna who suffered first and then decided to turn sadistic for a while and wanted everyone else to suffer. I guess all the boys who came with me share my view.

2) Shaft - was that a movie? YUCK!

3) Sleepy Hollow - ok, this was not as bad as the 1st two, but still it was a comedy show of a horror movie, with Johhny Depp's acting the only saving grace. I can never forget the day we went to watch this movie. It was after internals and there was a large RV Gang on MG Road. Shailesh was with us and was all tensed up as one of his "girlfriends" had also turned up with her boyfriend and was sitting behind us, and this guy was getting lots of thoughts in his mind! ;)

4) MI2 - Another movie which sucked, though it had good action. No more comments on this.

5) Charlie's Angels - Do I need to tell more?

6) Hawas - 'B' grade Hindi movie, no, it should be 'D' grade. Apart from Bhagat Singh, when 4 movies with same story opened at same time, this came along with Murder and had the same story, and both were desi versions of an English movie, starring Richard Gere (I have forgotten the name, I have seen that movie as well)

I have been to some more movies but I am not able to recollect them.

But, as a matter of fact, this theatre has also shown a lot of good movies and was very popular in Bangalore, but that was before I was born. Some of them are Ten Commandments, Gone With the Wind, Godfather, Indiana Jones series, An Officer and a Gentleman,and of late, Meet the Fockers.

One more thing about the theatre was that it sucked and it was one of the worst theatres in Bangalore.

Anyways, now that this movie theatre is no more, I am kinda happy. But, somewhere inside, there is a tinge of sadness as I feel that I am going to miss this theatre now. This was a place I came regularly only with friends most often and many times during college, this was our meeting point. (After college, the meeting pt. got moved to Barista, just a stone's throw away).

Now lets hope that the Metro project gets completed soon, so that the meeting point can be Plaza station!! :)