A Childhood Memoir: The First Movie I Saw in Theaters

I was less than ten. I don't remember my exact age, but it was a time when my world was expanding, and my first movie theater experience left a lasting impression on me.

My father was a government employee, and we lived in the government allocated quarters in a colony near a village on a desolate highway at the edge of Bengaluru. Back then, Bengaluru was just a pensioners' paradise, far from the bustling tech hub it is today. Villages in those days had small, rustic theaters known as 'Tentu Kottai' in Tamil. These theaters lacked the acoustically designed ambiance and Dolby surround sound of their urban counterparts. Their floors were simple gravel, and the chairs were basic, without handles. The first row, or what we called the Gandhi class, had no seats, as people would sit directly on the ground, creating a barefoot band seating area. Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper sound design, the loud sound from the theater could often be heard from the adjoining road.

We had recently moved our family from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka, and despite our new location, opportunities to see Tamil films were few and far between. Transporting us to the city of Bengaluru required a full day of effort, and we could hardly afford taxis or autos. Public buses were infrequent, with just one bus per hour on weekdays and one every few days on weekends. This scarcity made a trip to the theater an event worth remembering, and it was significant enough for my parents to make it a special occasion.

Because my parents were strict about my movie consumption and my access to entertainment resources, including radio and tape recorders, a movie in a theater was more than just an outing - it was a marked event in my young life. And when a Tamil movie came to our nearby theater, many families from our colony planned to go together, creating a sense of community and shared excitement.

The first movie I remember watching in a theater was the Rajinikanth starrer Uzhaippali. This experience may have been the seed that eventually led to my rabid Rajinikanth fandom. The film was probably more than just an action-packed adventure; it was a gateway through which the larger world of cinema and action heroism was introduced to me. As I sit here, reflecting on that day, I realize how formative that first taste of the theater experience was, not only for my appreciation of films but also for the joy and excitement that come with communal entertainment.

Conclusion

That first movie experience in a small village theater left an indelible mark on me, shaping the way I looked at cinema and human stories. It was a simple yet unforgettable moment that set the stage for much to come, including decades of Rajinikanth fandom and a deep appreciation for the power of shared experiences in the dark, acoustically designed halls of a theater.