It looks like you really can’t keep cinema away from politics in this part of the world.
Unlike Tamil Nadu where the cinema industry has produced a number of politicians and Chief Ministers, in Puducherry a cinema theatre in the suburb will double up as a polling station to facilitate the nearby residents to cast their votes.
Vasantha Raja theatre in Mulakulam where mostly box-office hit movies are screened has attained the status of polling station no. 167 in the Oulgaret constituency.
‘No public building’
An official said, “There is no public building in the nearby area. So we used the theatre as polling station where more than 1000 people will cast their votes.”
S. Elango, owner of theatre said, “It is matter of great satisfaction when we let our theatre to be used as a polling station in the area. We don’t mind the loss due to cancellation of shows in view of holding polling on the theatre premises.”
Launched in 1986, the theatre which has been catering the needs of film lovers now plays one of the important roles in the democracy.
More than 25 years
According to the owner, it has been a polling station for more than 25 years whenever the elections were held in the Union Territory. Residents of Oulgaret, Mulakulam and Pichaveeranpet throng the premises at the time of election for casting their votes.
Like any other polling station, the theatre premises is displaying details put up by polling officials relating to details of candidates and the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the polling station.
Shows cancelled
Meanwhile, the district authorities have asked the theatre owners across the district to cancel shows from Sunday evening till Tuesday to improve voter turnout.
“It is matter of great satisfaction when we let our theatre to be used as a polling station”
