When a Kerala Facebook collective brought Rajinikanth’s iconic Baashha roaring back in a throwback to analogue cinema

A film reel of Baashha being brought ahead of the analogue screening at Kripa theatre at Kurumassery near Perumbavoor
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Before digital files replaced film reels and online bookings replaced queues at ticket counters, going to the movies was an experience in itself. Theatre Diaries, a collective formed by people associated with movie theatres, is bringing a slice of that lost era back to life with an analogue screening of Rajinikanth’s Baashha in Kerala.

The 1995 Tamil blockbuster, which took Rajinikanth’s stardom to another level, was screened at Kripa theatre in Kurumassery near Perumbavoor on August 5. But the screening was about more than the superstar or the film. It was an attempt to recreate the movie-going experience of the pre-digital era and draw attention to a fast disappearing world of film reels, projectors and theatre jobs.

The organisers went all out to recreate the atmosphere of the mid-1990s. Though the screening was free, complimentary passes were distributed at the ticket counter, with viewers queuing up to collect them. “We distributed complimentary passes through the ticket counter, where viewers queued up to collect them,” said Arun Arvind, manager of Kripa theatre and one of the 11 admins of the Facebook collective.

Film reel

Then came another throwback. The film reel was brought to the theatre on the back of a bicycle, a sight that would be unfamiliar to a generation used to digital projection. Theatre employees with decades of experience were also felicitated at the event, placing the spotlight on those who once kept the machines running and the shows going.

Getting the analogue screening up and running was no easy task. Theatre owner Anto Ilanjippilli made two analogue projectors available, one of which had to be restored with the help of a technician after days of work.

Interestingly, Baashha was not the collective’s first choice. Theatre Diaries had wanted to screen a Malayalam film but could not find a good-quality reel.

“We wanted to screen a Malayalam film but could not find a quality reel. In the analogue era, Malayalam films were mostly produced in Chennai, and original prints and negatives were often sold to labs and damaged due to lack of proper preservation,” said Prasob Nannammukku, one of the admins.

The difficulty in finding an old Malayalam print itself highlighted one of the concerns that Theatre Diaries wants to flag. As cinema moved to digital projection, old reels, projectors and the expertise needed to operate them gradually disappeared. So did several jobs associated with theatre operations.

Requests for more shows

The response to the first show has now prompted the collective to organise a repeat screening of Baashha at the same venue on August 16. Requests for another show have been pouring in, particularly from those who missed the weekday screening.

For Theatre Diaries, however, the screenings are only one part of a larger effort. The collective plans to organise more programmes around the history of theatres and the technological changes that have reshaped the industry.

“Families who flock to theatres during holidays for entertainment rarely think about those working behind the scenes, sacrificing time with their own families. Technology has taken a toll on theatre related livelihoods, with jobs and salaries steadily declining,” said Mr. Aravind.

The collective also has an archival ambition. It plans to create an extensive repository of theatres, including those that have shut down, documenting their history and evolution for future reference.

“The idea is to collect as much data as possible to serve as resource material for future studies on theatres,” said Mr. Nannammukku, who also writes weekly columns on the collective’s Facebook page.