Cinema theatres and Parsis both are dwindling in numbers. This thought struck me while researching the golden age of single-screen theatres in the city. To my surprise, I realised that a significant number of these theatres were run by Parsis. I’ve managed to count seven so far and I’m sure readers will come back with more.
Early Days: Venkaiah and Madan
While the first Indian to own cinema theatres in Madras was undoubtedly Raghupathy Venkaiah, with his Gaiety, Crown, and Roxy (dating to 1914/1915), JF Madan of the famed Madan Picture Palace chain was already active here. He initially rented the Lyric Theatre at the intersection of Wallajah and Mount Roads and renamed it Elphinstone.
By 1915, Madan had moved across Round Tana and begun the New Elphinstone, where the Raheja Complex now stands. For a brief while, after Venkaiah was adjudged insolvent in the 1920s, his Gaiety too was run by Mrs. Piroja Madan, possibly a relative of the Elphinstone Madans. Gaiety, after changing hands several times, is now a commercial complex.
Rustomji Dorabji Wellington and His Legacy
Meanwhile, another Parsi made a mark in the city’s cinema scene — Seth Rustomji Dorabji Wellington. After a successful cycle distributorship in Bombay under the Wellington name (in partnership with the West End Cycle Co. of London), he moved to Madras in the early 1900s. In 1918, he leased land at the Mount Road–General Patters Road corner from the DD Italia family and opened the Wellington Theatre. Later, he established the West End Theatre further down the same road.
Initially catering only to European audiences with English films, his sons would later Indianise the business. Burjorji Dorabji, who inherited Wellington, began screening Tamil and Hindi films — Gemini Studios’ productions always premiered there. Framji Dorabji, who got West End, sold it to AK Ramachandran Iyer, who constructed Midland on the site.
Wellington closed in the 1980s and became Wellington Plaza, a commercial complex. Midland and the neighbouring Westland were later acquired by actress Jayaprada and her brother Raja Babu. Today, both stand in ruins.
The Rise (and Boxed Fall) of Casino Theatre
In 1941, the Irani family constructed Casino Theatre, right next to Gaiety. Ironically, they had been traditionally into the ice business, but when the Wellington family entered that line, they decided in a move of pure Parsi flair to get into theatres instead.
Designed by the son of the family, an architect, Casino is widely believed to be Chennai’s first Art Deco styled theatre. It had a glorious run, and though it still functions as a theatre (a small miracle), its elegant façade has now been boxed in the most unimaginative way possible.
Adyar’s Eros and the Final Flicker
Parsi interest in theatre seemed to decline post-Casino. But in the 1960s, Eros Theatre came up in Adyar, then a fast-developing suburb. It was promoted by the Iranis (possibly from the Casino family?), along with the Maneckjis and the Careys. Despite its ambition, Eros had only a brief run — theatres were already on the wane. Eventually, other partners stepped in and converted it into a wedding hall. Today, the site houses an automobile showroom.
Curtain Call: The First Parsis in Entertainment
Long before cinema, Parsis were in entertainment via itinerant drama companies. The most famous was the Batliwala Drama Company, which hired tents at the Esplanade Maidan now the site of the Madras High Court. That was in the mid-19th century. Incidentally, Madan himself is believed to have worked in one of these companies before switching to cinema.
This article appeared in The Hindu-https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/the-parsis-who-once-ran-theatres-in-madras/article69704185.ece
My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/
Dear Sir, I recently came across your post seeking assistance in your work as a historian and researcher of Carnatic music and its history. I have a friend who is very interested in supporting you in this capacity. She was born and raised in the USA, has been trained in both Carnatic music and classical dance, and is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she has strong writing skills. She is particularly proficient in transcribing music notations from audio versions of songs and can decompose dance jathis, explaining the mathematical structure behind them and how they fit within the tala framework. Could you please provide more details about the application process for the apprentice role you are hiring for? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Hi! The post is already filled. Thanks