Changes between Version 4 and Version 5 of Plaza (Bangalore)

Timestamp:

Jan 6, 2013, 11:17:24 AM (12 years ago)

Author:

Lawrence Liang

Comment:

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Plaza (Bangalore)

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 Plaza Theatre located on M.G.Road, Bangalore was a premier movie theatre that started operations in 1936 and had its last screening on March 17, 2005. It now serves as the central station for the Bangalore Metro
 
-Arcot Narrain Swamy Mudaliar was a contractor who built many buildings in Bangalore including the Attara Kacheri (the present premises of the Karnataka High Court).[1] From the money he earned out of it, he purchased a number of properties on M. G. Road including a 17,000 sq ft (1,600 m2). property over which the Plaza theatre was eventually built. His grandsons, A S Krishnamoorthy and Rajamanickam Velu wanted to construct a film theatre on this property, where they were formerly running a furniture business and went to Great Britain to understand how a great film theatre should look like.[2] They came back and constructed Plaza theatre in the year 1936 modeling it after the Piccadilly Circus in London.[3] The first film to be screened here was The Broadway Melody in April 1936.[3] The theatre also had a wooden dance floor which was used by English soldiers for ball dancing.[4] Initial ticket prices ranged from eight annas for the front seats to 1 rupee and 12 annas for the balcony's highest seat, called The Dress Circle.[5] The theatre also had a bar which served drinks to patrons who came to watch movies.
-Movies
 
-Movies that have been screened here include Hans Christian Andersen, The Court Jester, Artists and Models and The Ten Commandments. The latter ran for 44 straight weeks making it the longest running movie in the theatre.[6] Loads of school children were brought to the theatre to watch this movie and a special personal screening of the movie was arranged in the year 1959 for the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar and his entourage.[4] Initially, the theatre was associated with MGM Studios screening movies like Gone with the wind before moving on to Paramount pictures to screen movies like Roman Holiday, An Officer and a Gentleman and the James Bond movies.[6]
-Closure
-View from projection room on closing day[7]
+[[Image(Arcot Narrain swamy.jpg)]]
 
-The last film that was screened here was Meet the Fockers on March 17, 2005. The Narrain family sold the theatre since their children, all professionals,did not wish to carry on the family business. A mining investor from Bellary purchased this property and wanted to build a shopping mall in its place. However, the Bangalore City Corporation refused permission to build a shopping mall. The land has since been acquired for the Bangalore Metro project and will house the Plaza theatre station on the East-West Corridor route.[8]
+Arcot Narrain Swamy Mudaliar was born at Arcot on 14 May 1827, After his father Muniappa Mudaliar paased away when Narrainsawmy was ten years old, the youngster had to support his widowed mother and two younger brothers. He never had an opportunity to study English, but was well versed in his mother tongue - Tamil. During his formative years he studied and acquired a deep knowledge of ancient Tamil literature, which moulded his character and inspired his thoughts and outlook throughout his life. Mudaliar married Govindammal in 1850 when he was 23.
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+Mudaliar commenced his commercial activity initially as a travelling salesman transporting vegetables which were available at a low price in Bangalore, and selling them at Madras, where they were in great demand. After gaining considerable profit and experience from this trade, he started transporting salt from Madras and selling it in Bangalore. Mudaliar's self reliance, resourcefulness and perseverance enabled him to earn considerable profit from this two-way trade. With this capital, he opened a grocery shop on Cavalry road and later a branch in the Infantry Barracks. 
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+In the year 1859, he was granted the Royal patronage of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the Maharaja of Mysore. As a token of gratitude to his Royal Patron, Mudaliar named his Emporium on Cavalry road as ‘Mysore Hall’. Later, Mudaliar ventured into a new line of business with Messrs. Wallace & Co. in partnership with Rai Bahadur Bansilal-Ramrathan, who had secured from Col.Sankey, Chief Engineer to the Government of Mysore, the contract for the construction of the New Public Offices or the 'Athara Cutcherry' or the high court.  
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+From the money he earned out of it, he purchased a number of properties on M. G. Road including a 17,000 sq ft (1,600 m2) property on No. 18, South Parade (the original name for MG Road) in 1873 which he set up a furniture store “Bangalore Furniture Mart” over which the Plaza theatre was eventually built.
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+[[Image(plaza furniture.jpg)]]
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