How Albert Theatre became Madras’ cultural landmark

The movie-going acquisition successful the Madras of the aboriginal 1980s was mostly centred astir Mount Road. There were theatres successful and astir Poonamallee High Road too, and astir caller releases were watched connected screens linked to these arterial roads.

Egmore, a thriving locality placed equidistant from these 2 veins of the city, did not person a theatre. And it each changed during the October of 1984 erstwhile the Albert analyzable was unveiled. Consisting of big-screen Albert and the smaller Baby Albert, the venue became a substance of pridefulness for those surviving successful the area, and they referred it to arsenic namma (our) theatre.

A haven for moviegoers

Being new, the theatre had that modern vibe, and the method aspects were smooth. Close to Egmore railway station, the hallway was casual to access, acknowledgment to suburban trains. College students utilizing the Beach-Tambaram enactment could hop onto a train, get disconnected astatine Egmore, drawback a wound astatine Impala, and locomotion to Albert to drawback the latest flick.

And for those catching long-distance trains and with clip to kill, the theatre offered an air-conditioned refuge. A movie would beryllium relished, and for the thirsty, the adjacent watering holes connected Kennet Lane came successful handy. Later, overnight trains would beryllium caught, oregon those backstage buses to confederate Tamil Nadu.

Albert soon became this indispensable visiting spot for Rajinikanth fans. To drawback a Rajini movie archetypal day, archetypal amusement astatine Albert was deemed a rite of increasing up. Be it Thalapathy oregon Baasha, the theatre erupted arsenic the superstar made his entry. Back then, this was his bastion, and the faithful kept rushing in.

Kamal Haasan-starrers usually did the rounds successful the Devi and Sathyam complexes. However, determination was a twist successful the communicative arsenic Kamal’s iconic drama caper Michael Madana Kama Rajan recovered its bosom astatine Albert. The movie was a blockbuster arsenic the communicative of quadruplets, mistaken identities, and revenge, each laced with a humorous touch, struck a chord.

The classical turned 30 this October, and its dialogues are communal cognition for viewers of a definite vintage. Albert was not conscionable astir the tentpole films; the lesser ones with rooted humour similar Aan Paavam, oregon classy, urbane outings similar Minsara Kanavu, besides recovered an audience.

Age did drawback up with Albert portion galore of its rival complexes connected Mount Road either unopen down oregon opted to renovate and flourish. In the caller past, determination person been days erstwhile Albert had nary shows, but thankfully, it was not a imperishable pause, and movies proceed to beryllium screened.

Old-time patrons bash speech astir the request to amended facilities portion fervently hoping that their favourite theatre gains a 2nd upwind — conscionable similar however Egmore railway presumption did aft shifting from metre-gauge to broad-gauge.