A hark back to ‘collection king’ Udhayam
Udhayam theatre, a landmark cinema complex in Chennai, is remembered for its cultural impact and popularity from the 1980s through the early 2000s. The article reflects on its legacy as a 'collection king' before its eventual closure due to the rise of modern multiplexes.
Why it matters
The piece highlights the evolution of urban entertainment landscapes and the nostalgic significance of single-screen cinemas in Indian film culture.
For decades, until just over a year ago, Ashok Nagar was home to a theatre so beloved that it even found its way into a song: Udhayam theatre la en idhayathai tholachen … In the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s, Udhayam theatre was a true FDFS spot, where heartbreaks, fight sequences, and larger-than-life heroes moved audiences. Before its patronage dwindled in its later years and the theatre eventually gave way to real estate development, it stood as a landmark, an institution that had watched a city grow around it.
Udhayam opened its curtains to film lovers in the summer of 1983, with the screening of Rajinikanth’s Sivappu Sooriyan . The theatre was started by six brothers from Tirunelveli, and housed three screens initially: Udhayam, Mini Udhayam, and Sooriyan. Chandran was added in later years. Even the bus stop in the area was known as the ‘Udhayam stop’.
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