Those days, there were only 2 ways to get tickets at Udhayam.
#Krishnaveni theatre in t nagar movie#
Those days, when the areas beyond south of Kathipara (there was only Nehru statue and no Kathipara bridge those days) were still emerging, Ashok Nagar was considered as the border of South Chennai and a movie ticket at Udhayam was considered a prized possession. In fact, theatres in the Kodambakkam belt used to give some competition to the Chengelpet screens from Tambaram to Kathipara area. When you learn that the headquarters of the famous vegetarian restaurant chain Saravana Bhavan is stationed in Vadapalani with several branches in Mambalam & Ashok Nagar, you start smelling the area’s demographics. The residents of Mambalam, Vadapalani & Ashok Nagar are historically from middle class background. It is also important to understand the demographics of this area before going deep into this topic. Until the advent of recent malls like Forum Mall & Chandra Mall, cinema remained the prime source of entertainment because of the lack of local options available to the residents. Interestingly, out of the 4 areas of Chennai city, Kodambakkam is the only area which is not proximate to any of the city’s beaches. Traditional centers like Udhayam, Kamala and AVM Rajeswari came into the fray and were lapped up by the residents of Vadapalani, Ashok Nagar and neighborhood. Things changed in the latter half of 1970 when Kodambakkam was added as the 4 th area in the Chennai city distribution zone. My articles in the next few weeks, will exclusively focus on each of these areas. While a new movie used to release in Mount Road, Purasaiwalkam and North Madras, people in Kodambakkam had to travel to Mount Road or Purasaiwalkam to watch a new movie. It is ironical that Kodambakkam, which is the source for the Kollywood nomenclature, was not considered a release center prior to 1970. In Chennai city (a trade territory in Tamilnadu tinsel town), Kodambakkam is one of the 4 areas (the other 3 being Mount Road, Purasaiwalkam and North Chennai) and this conglomeration include Vadapalani, Ashok Nagar, Mambalam (which includes T.Nagar), Saidapet and the surroundings. But, what even an ardent movie buff may not be aware of is that Kodambakkam was not considered a release centre prior to 1970. Every aspiring actor or a technician, be it an avid scriptwriter or a hard-working light-man, are known to pack their bags to Kodambakkam to cherish their dreams. Fan Frenzy at Udhayam complex, Ashok Nagar during the release of Rajinikanth’s EndhiranĮveryone from an armchair critic to a layman can easily distinguish that Kodambakkam is the hub of Tamil film industry.