KOCHI: After more than 55 years of screening hit movies in its colossal 1,250-seater Vistarama projection (120 mm) screen, the second in Asia while it was founded in 1969, the iconic Shenoy’s Theatre, a pivotal landmark in Kochi’s skyline, closed in 2015. With a glorious history lending its name to the adjacent road and the junction in the vicinity, the show at Shenoy’s came to a halt to make way for a more modern movie watching sensibility.
Now, having undergone extensive renovation lasting over four years, a transformed and swanky avatar of the Shenoy’s, replete with five multiplex screens and state-of-the-art facilities, is set to be thrown open to the public on Friday with the screening of movies Saajan Bakery Since 1962, Operation Java and Yuvam. While the monumental circular structure built in the art deco style has remained untouched, hardly anything beyond the entrance is reminiscent of the past structure.
“The refurbished theatre can now seat a total of 754 people in all five screens which have a 4K projection. Screen 1 has been competently equipped with 180-degree recliners with Dolby Atmos sound system. Screen 4 with 71 seats has been modelled for private screenings or third week screenings. The new building also houses a full-fledged restaurant and a cafe managed by the Avenue Regent group,” says Suresh Shenoy, managing partner of the theatre.
Built by Suresh’s ancestors, the Shenoy’s was a flagship project of the eponymous family, who came to be known as ‘Kochi’s theatre family’ after the patriarch Lakshman Shenoy built the first movie theatre in Kerala in 1944. The popular Padma Theatre came into being in the following decade while Sridhar, the fist AC movie theatre in the state, was inaugurated in 1964, just four years before the founding of Shenoy’s.
The corridors of the revamped Shenoy’s bear witness to this rich history as archival photos line the walls. While understated influences of art deco and mid-century modern styles are reflected in the new decor, the owners signal a contemporary resurgence. “Shenoy’s was a household name for Kochiets who grew up in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and even 2000s. We wanted the young generation to have the same attachment with the establishment,”says Suresh.
The trends are changing and more and more movies are getting released. We felt the need to renovate the space that can screen multiple movies from different genres simultaneously. We had already renovated two of our other theatres, the main challenge with Shenoy’s and the reason it took so long was because we wanted to retain the main facade of the building as it is so distinctive. It was eventually decided to build the theatres in three different levels. We had originally planned to reopen in April last year but the work had to be stopped due to the pandemic outbreak, he added.