There was a time when going to the movies was not just about what was on the silver screen. It was an experience that included long queues in front of theatres with ornate facades and regal interiors, hoping for last-minute deals with ticket black marketers, and shows that would run for months on end. As movie screens shrink into the palms of our hands, we revisit some of these iconic venues in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai for a glimpse of what silver screens were really meant to be
CHENNAI: Batcha theatre (once popular as Minerva), on Davidson Street, completed 100 years in 2016. The theatre is currently being renovated and may reopen early next year.