#TheatreLove: That wondrous feeling of watching a film in a theatre can never be replaced: Vignesh Shivan

My father used to take me to Alankar Theatre and I still remember my first movie-watching experience with him. The movie I saw was Enter The Dragon. I vividly remember watching that film in the theatre. My father was a police officer and he loved watching international films, especially those featuring Bruce Lee. In fact, he only used to take me to watch English and American films that were released in Chennai during the 1990s.On the contrary, my mother loved to watch a lot of Tamil films, and my theatre experiences of watching films with her were different. It was two different poles. Amma and I watched a lot of solid Tamil films. Watching Annamalai and Baashha in the theatre was unforgettable. I would have been five or six then. I also remember watching films like Roja, Bombay, Thulladha Manamum Thullum and Vaali with my family.
As I grew up, I loved watching films at Sathyam Cinemas. There is something about the movie-watching experience there and I think everyone in Chennai would agree to that. The standard and the ambience they have created for movie-going is something else. I love the theatre for the ambience, and Devi theatre for the grandeur of watching star films. But when my films were released, I’ve not exposed myself to that feeling much. I did enjoy watching Poda Podi, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and Thaanaa Serndha Koottam in theatres, but I have watched them only a few times. I am always scared and conscious. I get upset, in a silly way, when the audience doesn’t react to something which I thought would gain a good reaction. So, I try not to watch my films on the big screen with the audience.
But the relationship between the audience and theatres is more than just about films. It goes a long way. There is a story that happens on the screen, and you have stories happening on the seats as well! From love, reconciliation, friendship to family reunions, everyone would have experienced various emotions while watching a film in a theatre. That wondrous feeling of watching a film in a theatre can never be compared or replaced with anything else. Theatre will always hold the top position.