Even after several decades, Navarang theatre still remains a popular destination for Hollywood blockbusters in the city. While majority of old theatres are competing with swanky multiplexes in drawing audience, Navarang has been screening Hollywood films and catering to the needs of movie buffs. The theatre became popular among audience for screening Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and James Bond movies followed by other hit movies starring Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.
Theatre proprietor R.V. Bhupal Prasad claims thousands of Hollywood movies were screened in this hall since it was opened in 1964. Starting from ‘Hatari’ to ‘Amazing Spiderman-2’, the theatre has screened several sensational action flicks.
Films such as ‘Cleopatra’, ‘The Great Escape’, ‘The Towering Inferno’, ‘The Longest Day’, ‘Speed’, ‘Baby’s Day Out’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ were screened successfully here.
Giant screenThe erstwhile Plaza theatre at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad and Navarang theatre in Vijayawada were famous for screening super-hit western movies from the mid-1960s. Apart from effective sound system, the management has 2K three-dimension projector that beams best quality pictures on the giant screen.
“Audience can also watch movies in 3D format,” Mr. Prasad says, adding that movies are screened at the theatre using hard-disk sent by distributors. “We will first download the movie into our server and then screen it,” he says.
Mr. Prasad says the sensational hit movie, ‘Sholay’, along with other Hindi films starring Amitabh Bachchan were also screened when restrictions were imposed on showing Hollywood pictures in the 1970s.
“Despite losses, we are running the theatre out of passion for films,” says Mr. Prasad. He adds that a few single-screen cinema halls, too, show dubbed version of Hollywood films.
