CHENNAI: I feel like a father giving away his precious daughter to an undeserving suitor.” Who would have thought this was said in the context of a movie theatre being acquired by a nationally-recognised brand? But such is the emotional connect of Chennaiites with the iconic Sathyam Cinemas. When news of PVR Cinemas acquiring the city’s beloved movie haunt, Sathyam Cinemas, trickled in on Sunday, reactions ranged from disappointment, and sadness, to anger. “I know that life has its ups and downs, but Sathyam popcorn with the right seasoning can fix it all,” said S Meenu, adding “Sathyam popcorn is an emotion, but with calories!”
“My father is not fond of watching movies,” said K Meena. “We force him to come along, and his only condition is that we had to go to Sathyam, because he loved the food there.” Santhosh Narayanan, a resident of Thiruvanmyur, moved to Chennai in 2002. “When I moved from Hosur, Sathyam is what introduced the city to me,” he said. “There’s a sense of safety and cleanliness that all theatres by SPI Cinemas have,” he shared. Santhosh, who claims to have watched almost 300 movies at SPI Cinemas said that experiencing AR Rehman’s music, has been cathartic, only because of the sound system in these theatres.
“PVR is mediocre and I am so sad Sathyam is going to be no more,” said city-based architect Parul Agarwal. Twenty-two-year-old social media strategist Ruchi Jain said, “I’ve enjoyed their snacks, beverages, and ambience, and adored their changes, but with PVR trying to cap a profit, we Chennaities suffer consequences. We need Sathyam to be Sathyam.” The news managed to evoke mixed nostalgic responses from Chennaiites living outside India. “Sathyam’s popcorn is what I miss about Chennai,” said psychologist Smruthy Nair, who currently resides in Australia. “PVR better match up the standards SPI has set in sound tech, screen size, snacks, and customer service.”
SPI Cinemas has also been host to various film festivals in the city, including International disability film festival and Chennai International Film Festival. Even less commercial movies that are not aired by many commercial theatres, find time in SPI Cinemas, if it has artistic value. Movies begin as scheduled and advertisements are played before the scheduled time. Shobi Ashika fondly recalls how she used to bunk college. “The morning shows were a fool-proof destination to be at,” she said. On a shoestring budget, she didn’t need to spend on transport as Sathyam, along with restaurants, also had a gaming centre with a bowling alley.
Shabir Mohammed and Smitha Sundar, lovers based out of Chennai recall, how excited they were when Escape was launched with couple seats. “It’s no secret that couples love being in theatres. It’s a safe spot where we won’t get judgemental looks. It was a bold move then and we were celebrating,” he said.
Among other sentiments that people emphasise about SPI Cinemas, the quality clean toilets are something that every regular is used to. “I felt like royalty when I first walked into the dry toilets at Escape. Recently, SPI Cinemas also started stacking sanitary napkins in their toilets,” said Smitha, adding that Sathyam’s legacy is not buried in its past, but lives in how they evolve with audience’s needs. While it remains to be seen if PVR is indeed a ‘worthy’ suitor, it seems like the brand will have to do a lot more to gain the approval of the city’s people.(Inputs from Manav Chordia)
Popcorn stays!
On Monday, Kiran Reddy, CEO of SPI Cinemas, in a statement said, “The core SPI team led by Swaroop and I, will continue to nurture and shape your experiences by preserving everything you love about us — from the people to the food to our commitment to excellence, all of it will remain intact.”
At Sathyam...
● Avatar ran for close to a year. It is the longest in terms of shows and days.
● Finding Nemo ran for a year. Pixar sent a letter to Sathyam, thanking them for running the film that long.
● Sivaji’s Karnan ran for 175 days.
● Aayirathil Oruvan played for 185 days.
● Premam ran for 255 days.
● Kabali had the biggest opening for a Tamil film.
● Enthiran was sold out in 45 seconds.
● Chennai Express, Dangal, and Dabangg ran the longest.
— Navein Darshan