Old movie halls that shimmer with stardust and acoustic highs are often marinated in nostalgia’s warmth. Talk about Mount Road, Chennai’s Anna Salai now, may bring in the old tropes of the LIC building, Higginbothams bookshop, and Buhari hotel, but look deeper and there is one building that leaps from our memory’s alcoves.
Devi Complex turned 54 recently, and it remains an iconic spot to relish cinema.
Much before this modern terminology of multiplexes commenced, Devi Complex had four theatres in the same compound. There was Devi and the equally large Devi Paradise, besides the smaller ones in Devi Kala and Devi Bala, the last one placed in the basement. Back in the Mount Road of the 1980s, Devi Complex was the place to be.
It had a vibe and there was always masala milk and lassi to gulp, be it outside the theatre or inside the complex. Kollywood’s big stars had their releases in this hallowed theatre group and usually Devi screened English films at the 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. slots. The 1 p.m. one was a favourite with college students bored with their post-lunch lectures and hopping onto a bus, they would troop into Devi to catch Speed or Cliffhanger or Basic Instinct.
The post-movie ritual would be a quick tea at Buhari, followed by the return-from-college act in front of oblivious parents. Kamal Haasan was the one who found space for his Tamil films at Devi, shifting them from his regular haunt Devi Paradise. His Kurudhipunal, a remake of Drohkaal, was screened at Devi.
The allure of Devi Complex was the spiral pathway that gently snaked up and you could either take a detour to Devi Kala or stride into Devi Paradise which was on the uppermost tier. Once you got to Devi Paradise, the thing to do was to gape at the movie stills placed inside the showcase and also peep at the censor cuts mentioned on the notice.
Adolescent curiosity meant that the censor information was closely read. But in these days of information-overload, these old hints at what lies in store in a film are no longer displayed. Devi Complex soldiers on with the changes being a new lift that complements the gentle pathway, and obviously tickets are available online besides the regular box-office counters.
While many movie halls like Shanti, Wellington, Alankar, Anand, and Safire downed shutters, Devi Complex remains intrinsic to Anna Salai. It is a vital cog in the collective memories of a generation that loved hanging out on Mount Road.
