CHENNAI : Whether it is a traditional kutcheri, an EDM party or a karaoke night, music and Madras have always been inseparable. In yet another energetic event that redefines the bond, SPI Cinemas in association with Motta Maadi music organised a concert — Maaditorium — at their iconic screen, Sathyam, on Sunday morning.Motta Maadi Music is a series of jamming sessions put together by Chennai-based musician Badhri Narayanan Seshadri along with his team on city rooftops wherein audiences lead the concert by singing songs to the theme of the evening. Only this time, it was at the largest theatre in Chennai with more than 1,000 people. The theme was Best of Motta Maadi Music.
The mood was set. People of all ages gathered at 8.30 am to sing and dance their hearts out. The event started with MS Viswanathan’s classic Atho Antha Paravai Pola and witnessed over 30 hit numbers like Malargale Malargale, Yaaro Yaarodi, Kaattu Kuyilu and Appadi Podu. “We wanted to do something for Madras Week and there is nothing better than a large audience in an iconic place of the city. The concert is aimed towards celebrating the bond of Madras and music,” said Badhri.
This is not the first time the theatre has played host to a concert. While music lovers in the city are used to going to sabhas for kutcheri during the Margazhi season, it came as a refreshing change last year when the theatre, for the first time, hosted a week-long Carnatic concert in their cinemas.
Speaking about the idea of opening the cinema hall to music concerts, Swaroop Reddy, director, SPI Cinemas, said, “As a theatre chain, we have a wide range of customers walking into our cinemas and the idea is to entertain and cater to their different interests.
We realised that a lot of audiences are eager to explore new venues and sound spaces when we hosted the Carnatic concert during the kutcheri season last year. We are happy with all the positive responses, and at the end of the day, we want to provide the best customer experience to our audiences whether it is watching a movie or hosting a concert.”