In a move to create vibrant public spaces in Chennai, the State government has announced that various urban amenities, including an open air theatre, would be developed at a 30-acre space in Island Grounds.
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In his Budget speech at the Tamil Nadu Assembly on March 20, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority would develop a 30-acre land in Island Grounds with modern amenities, such as an open-air theatre, an urban plaza, exhibition pavilions, landscaping, food courts and landscaping at a cost of ₹50 crore.
Chennai was host to a privately-owned open-air theatre along East Coast Road, Prarthana. However, this was closed during the pandemic a few years ago. The announcement has garnered enthusiastic responses from city residents on social media too.
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While some noted that it was a good idea and this would be a step ahead in hosting movies under a blanket of stars, replicating such projects in Singapore, film buffs also wanted it to be maintained well. The Island Grounds has traditionally been a hub for tourist exhibitions and Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation is also now looking to develop a drive-in theatre at its revamped restaurant there.
E. Thangaraj, general secretary, Indo-Cine Appreciation Foundation said Island Grounds would be an ideal place for the initiative as it would be accessible to all citizens and is closer to the beach.
Recalling her experiences of watching movies outdoor in Prarthana, Srilakshmi Mohan Rao, resident of Kazura Garden, Neelankarai, said “We used to frequent the theatre outdoors until a few years before it was closed. Our family members used to visit even from Alwarpet. Noise, dust pollution from ECR and swarm of mosquitoes were the negatives.”
Resident B. Karthik too wanted a good ambience and clean environment to be maintained and limiting the vehicles’ capacity to help visitors enjoy the outing with families. The issue of mosquito menace needs to be addressed.
Devasena Sridhar, another resident of ECR, noted that the government must consider creating such public spaces in other parts as well. MGR Film City in Taramani could also be used for developing an open-air theatre for residents of southern areas, Ms. Sridhar said.