Bengaluru: After seven decades, Rex Theatre on Brigade Road in Bengaluru will be pulling down its shutters come January 1, 2019. The single screen theatre, a landmark of the city's CBD, screened Kannada movie KGF as its last show at 10pm on Monday.
The theatre will be redeveloped into a mall and multiplex in a joint venture with its current owners and Prestige group. The board at the entrance of the theatre bid farewell to movie goers and also gave hope as it read that it would don a new avatar when it re-opens in 2021.
Movie-goers had mixed reactions as they thronged to catch the last few shows. Kalappa, a resident of Bengaluru reminisced how back in the 1970's Rex was among the few theaters that screened Hollywood films. "As a college student we would bunk and come here to watch holly wood movies, it was such a thrill, its unfortunate that even this will become a multiplex,” Kalappa said.
"Multiplex's are expensive. At Rex, we could enjoy the latest movies within our budget. Only few theaters like Urvashi, Cauvery are left,” said Rashmi, a college student in Bengaluru.
The theatre has had its fair share of drama itself. Started in the 1940's, Rex was first owned by KV Paul and came to be known as Paul's Rex. The owner then ran into financial trouble and had to mortgage the theatre.
In 1961, it was Nand Lal Kapur, who in an auction won the bid and became the new owner of Rex theatre by paying 8 lakh rupees.
In 1962, the theatre opened its doors to screen its 1st film the Sleeping Beauty, which received a grand response. The current staff at Rex hopes that when the place re-opens in 2021, it will be received with the same enthusiasm.
"There are traffic restrictions today for new year's eve and we see a huge crowd on Brigade road for New Year’s revelry. But even our last show is 50% booked already. We hope to end on a good note," said Abhishek who works as a general manager at Rex.
The 18 staff members right from the booking clerks, door-keepers, projector operators will be given first preference when it comes to job hiring when the theatre re-opens, Abhishek added.
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