It was July 14, 1939. The air in Mylapore was thick with excitement. An expectant crowd was waiting at a newly constructed cinema, for M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. The charismatic actor would inaugurate this cinema, an answer to a deeply felt need in the neighbourhood. It was Kapali Talkies, the first cinema to come up in Mylapore.
The inaugural day would remain fresh in the memories of visitors for a long time — for, they were treated to excerpts from popular films from various languages including Tamil, Telugu, English and Hindi.
Screening re-runs of popular movies and charging measly fees from film-goers, the theatre came to be known as purse-friendly.
Chairs were said to have been reserved for first-class ticket holders. Benches were meant for those with second and third class tickets.
The fate that befell most of the single screens across the city, hit Kapali talkies too. It was torn down, but the theatre is still fondly remembered by its regulars.
