imported>Kailash29792 at 10:17, 25 June 2021

2021-06-25T10:17:43Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Shanti Theatre
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| location = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
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| opened = {{Start date|1961|1|12|df=y}}
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| closed = May 2016
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| builder ={{ubl|G. Umapathy | D. Shanmuga Raja}}
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'''Shanti Theatre''' was an Indian [[Movie theater|movie theatre]] located in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]]. Built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, and inaugurated in January 1961, it was bought by actor [[Sivaji Ganesan]], and was owned by his family since. In May 2016, Shanti ceased screening films, and was re-invented by its owners as a multiplex.

== History ==
Shanti Theatre was built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, then the Raja of [[Sivaganga]].<ref name="milestone" /> It was inaugurated on 12 January 1961 by then [[List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu|Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu]], [[K. Kamaraj]], and was the first deluxe [[Air conditioning|AC]] theatre of Madras (now Chennai) with a 1212-seats capacity. The inaugural show was ''Srinivasa Kalyanam'', and the first film to be released there officially was ''[[Velugu Needalu|Thooya Ullam]]'', followed by the Hindi film, ''[[Kalpana (1960 film)|Kalpana]]''.<ref name="mydigitalfc" />

''[[Paava Mannippu]]'', a Tamil film, was released in Shanti on 16 March 1961. When the film's original promoters were facing a repayment cash crisis, they approached star [[Sivaji Ganesan]] who agreed to invest, and eventually bought out the promoters.<ref name="mydigitalfc" /> The theatre had been owned by Ganesan's family ever since. The theatre is widely believed to have been named after Ganesan's daughter Shanti. According to Ganesan's nephew Giri Shanmugam, "Shanti Theatre became a landmark in the city because it was owned by the great Sivaji Ganesan. Watching a Sivaji movie in Shanti was on the must-to-do list, besides seeing [[Marina Beach]] and [[Life Insurance Corporation|LIC]] – the only 14-storyed building in the city then, for most visitors from other parts of Tamil Nadu."<ref name="mydigitalfc" />

After ''Paava Mannippu'', the theatre proceeded to screen an additional 81 films starring Ganesan. Some of his films like ''Paava Mannippu'', ''[[Thiruvilaiyadal]]'', ''[[Vasantha Maligai]]'', ''[[Thanga Pathakkam]]'', ''[[Thirisoolam]]'' and ''[[Muthal Mariyathai]]'' became [[silver jubilee film]]s,{{efn|A silver jubilee film is one that completes a theatrical run of 175 days.<ref name="mydigitalfc" />}} while others achieved a 100-day run. During the celebrations of ''[[Karnan (1964 film)|Karnan]]''<nowiki/>'s 100th day in 1964, the theatre wore a festive look, with a real chariot created and kept for display. [[N. T. Rama Rao]], who portrayed [[Krishna]] in that film, attended the event with various stars from the film.<ref name="mydigitalfc" />

In 1964, the Hindi film ''[[Sangam (1964 Hindi film)|Sangam]]'' ran for 188 days in the theatre. When it was running successfully, Ganesan faced a dilemma; his own production, ''[[Puthiya Paravai]]'', was scheduled to release and he was eager to release it in Shanti. When ''Sangam''<nowiki/>'s lead actor [[Raj Kapoor]] learnt of this, he personally requested Ganesan to allow a longer run for ''Sangam'' in Shanti, since no other theatre in Madras had such facilities; Ganesan assented and released ''Puthiya Paravai'' at the nearby Paragon theatre.<ref name="mydigitalfc" /> The Sivaji Productions film ''[[Chandramukhi]]'' (2005) played for 888 days straight in Shanti.<ref name="milestone" />

== Future ==
In mid-2016, it was announced that Shanti would no longer be a theatre, and would be re-invented as a multiplex, while still retaining the name Shanti.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/chennais-iconic-shanthi-theatre-to-turn-into-entertainment-centre/article6952203.ece |title=Chennai's iconic Shanthi Theatre to turn into entertainment centre |date=2 March 2015 |work=[[Business Line]] |access-date=29 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723052616/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/chennais-iconic-shanthi-theatre-to-turn-into-entertainment-centre/article6952203.ece |archive-date=23 July 2018}}</ref> The last film to be screened was ''[[24 (2016 film)|24]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Curtains-come-down-on-iconic-Shanti-theatre/article14321562.ece |title=Curtains come down on iconic Shanti theatre |last=Aloysius Xavier Lopez |date=16 May 2016 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=29 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723052615/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Curtains-come-down-on-iconic-Shanti-theatre/article14321562.ece |archive-date=23 July 2018}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="mydigitalfc">{{Cite news |url=http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/last-day-last-show-643? |title=Last day, Last show |last=Govardan |first=D |date=14 April 2017 |work=[[Financial Chronicle]] |access-date=29 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6sJOFKdOQ?url=http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/last-day-last-show-643?fromNewsdog=1 |archive-date=29 July 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="milestone">{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/Shanti-theatre-crosses-a-milestone/article14425853.ece |title=Shanti theatre crosses a milestone |last=Raman |first=Mohan |date=17 January 2011 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=29 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201101213/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/Shanti-theatre-crosses-a-milestone/article14425853.ece |archive-date=1 December 2016 |author-link=Mohan Raman}}</ref>
}}
{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Cinema Chains in India}}

[[Category:1961 establishments in Madras State]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chennai]]
[[Category:Cinema chains in India]]
[[Category:Cinemas in India]]
[[Category:Companies based in Chennai]]

Shanti Theatre - Revision history

imported>Kailash29792 at 10:17, 25 June 2021