Permanent Cinema Theatre in India was first built in Madras 1911: History

1897: In 1897, M. Edwards first screened a selection of silent short films at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras. The films all featured non-fictional subjects; they were mostly photographed records of day-to-day events.

1909: Swamikannu Vincent, a railway draftsman from Tiruchirapalli, became a travelling exhibitor in 1905.  near the present Parry's Corner, using carbide jet-burners for projection
It was Swamikannu Vincent who made humble beginning with his 'Tent Kottai' helped to introduce theatre culture in Tiruchi as well as in South India. Vincent must also be credited for setting up Edison's Bioscope in Esplanade (near the present Parry's Corner), and laid the foundation of the movie business in the South as a supplier of film projectors. He bought the film projector and silent films from the Frenchman Du Pont and screened silent films using carbide jet-burners for projection and set up a business as film exhibitor.

The Broadway Bioscope, 16 Popham's Broadway, George Town, (The Hindu)

The Broadway Bioscope Interiors (The Hindu)

1911: It is well established now that a woman by the name of Mrs. Klug, was the first to establish a ‘permanent' cinema theatre on the first floor of No. 16, Popham's Broadway in George Town (just south of Loane Square and opposite Harrison and Co.) in  April 1911 in Madras. However it was  not a purpose-built theatre for film shows, but was an already existing space modified and redecorated for use as a theatre. This was known as “The Broadway Bioscope” or simply “The Bioscope.”  Mrs Klugg’s Bioscope in Broadway, lasted only for just six months.

Major Warwick Electric theatre screened movies in 1913

1913: For many years it was widely reported that the first permanent cinema theatre in India was the 'Major Warwick Electric theatre' started in Madras by Major Warwick during 1900.  However the theatre began screening films only in 1913. It was a purpose-built cinema theatre in Madras and had a highly successful run over 21 months. The very same building survives still today as the Philatelic Bureau of the Mount Road Post Office.

 

1913:  In 1913 the Lyric theatre (calling itself as Empire Cinema) began screening films at the first floor of the building named Misquith & Co (A hall known for entertainment at the junction of Ellis Road and Wallajah Road. (Wallace) since 1842).  A fire accident in March 1914 made them to close it down. Later that year, J F Madan of Calcutta, owner of India’s biggest cinema chain at the time, took over the Empire and renamed it with that of his flagship, the Elphinstone. The Elphinstone theatre with balcony for the first time commenced screening films from 1916.

Raghupati Venkaiah Naidu

First Permanent Theatre Built by an Indian (Raghupati Venkiah Naidu)

1914: In 1910, Raghupati Venkaiah Naidu of Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, known widely as the father of Telugu cinema and  a pioneer in the production of silent Indian films and talkies, established Tent Cinema House at Esplanade i.e, near the Madras High Court to exhibit his films. He also screened the short films in the Victoria Public Hall.
In 1912, he constructed Gaiety Talkies on Mount Road, the first Indian-owned cinema theatre in Chennai. Gaiety Talkies commenced screening films in 1914. He later constructed Crown Theatre on Mint Street and Globe Theatre in Purasawakkam (later called Roxy), Chennai. He also exhibited American and British films.

The Elphinstone re-opened in 1916, Wellington in 1917, Paragon 1934, Globe (near LIC building) in 1938, Casino in 1941, Chitra in 1948

Shanthi Theatre, First Airconditioned Theatre of Chennai, was inaugurated on 12.01.1961 by Shri K. Kamaraj, then Chief Minister of Madras State.

Sapphire, Blue Diamond and Emerald - the first of its kind multiplex in India — drew a large crowd.

Star Talkies: Popular Single Screen Theatre in Triplicane, Chennai Shut down Now

Star Talkies, Triplicane High Road, Triplicane - Now Closed

In a cinema crazy city like Chennai single screen theatres are diasppaearing one by one. Maintaining single screen theatres is becoming a tough job due to cinema piracy, the ‘free download’ of movies in many film-related websites, complicated movie distribution system, opearional cost and entertainment taxing system.  Many old theatres in Chennai are shutting down because of this pressues and converted into shopping malls. Few of them keep the exteriors as it is and revamp with latest digital projection system, six-track sound sytem, central airconditioning and xenon lamps.

While revamping is one way of reviving fortunes, the other was is converting into multiplexes. The multiplexes are the hottest entertainment destination for people from all walks of life. The Chennai multiplexes and cinema houses are now equipped with cinema are equipped with modern amenities like 3D technology and movies and digital projection technology, digital audio sound (sorround system) system.  screens with amazing picture quality as well as  fully air conditioned hall, comfortable seats and online booking.

The list of closed single screen theatres in Chennai is becoming very long: Gaiety, Elphinstone , Globe (a.k.a. Alankar), Wellingdon, Chitra theatres in Mount Road; Pilot theatre in Royapet,  Nataraj, Vasanthi, Lakshmi and Saraswathi theatres in Perambur, Prabhat in Broadway, and Brighton in Royapuram, Uma, Roxy,  Bhuvanwasari, Sayani and Megala theatres in Purasawalkam, Ram and Liberty theatres in Kodambakkam, Nagesh (aka. Rajakumari) in Pondybazaar.

Star Talkies on Triplicane High Road is one such single screen theatre. It was once-successful cinema hall. In those days the film meant that crowds would throng the theatre at least till its 50th day in theatres. At Star Talkies 'Yaadon Ki Baraat' (Hindi)  ran for 100 weeks and Madhumati (Hindi) for 50 weeks.

This movie hall was constructed in 1916 in Triplicane High Road on a site owned by one Venkataramanuja Naidu. The theatre was leased to a Parsi family. When talkies become popular in 1936, this movie hall was named as Star Talkies and Kalidasa, the first talkie was released. In 1950 the Star talkies management came to the site owner Venkataramanuja Naidu and thereafter the movie hall underwent revamping and increased the seating capacity up to 818 seats and started screening number of superhit Bollywood films. Even theatre supported purdah system by allocating separate seating zone for muslim women. The taxi drivers of Chennai viewed the movie 'Taxi Driver' (Hindi) here free of cost and similarly the auto-drivers viewed the Rajanikanth starer movie 'Basha (Tamil) free of cost. Star talkies ceased screening movies from February 29, 1995 (leap year!).

Jafar's: An Iconic Ice cream Parlour in Colonial Madras

Source: The Hindu Jun 25, 2003

M/s  M. Jafar & Co, an ice-cream parlour at Elphinstone Theater, Round Tana, Mount Road, Madras, has a lot of history, dating back to 1938. Some of the rich and delicious ice cream was served at this oldest ice cream Parlour in Madras. It was also  recognized and honoured with The Presidential award in the ice-cream business. Learn all about the seventy five year old Ice-cream parlour history.

Sohrab Modi, (the  `Cecil B. de Mille of Hindi Cinema' ) a film maker from Bombay, inaugurated the New Elphinstone cinema theatre in Round Tana, Mount Road, Madras in 1932. This poshest cinema theatre screened the best Hollywood films and this third cinema hall inculcated the habit of film going among the public in Madras.

Before the inauguration of Elphinstone theatre, this public place was occupied by two different (London based) theatres i.e, 1. Lycaeum Theatre and 2. Vaudeville Theatre as well as the dance hall and the boxing ring at the 'indoor stadium.' The Lycaeum Theatre run a soda fountain (Barney Dorai's Soda Fountain) since from 1910 to attract the gathering. Later it became as Elphinstone Soda Foundation to invite all film goers. 

Barney Dorai handed over his soda fountain to Jafar, one of his fountain keepers. Jafar took possession of the soda fountain in 1938 and  renamed as  Jafar's Ice cream Parlour, a landmark around Round Tana. At Jafar's the blenders whipped cream, fruits and other ingredients to prepare different cocktail varieties of milk shakes and ice-cream as well as colorful sweet menu and the parlour was furnished with  bar style furniture. People spent time in the new ambiance and enjoyed the lip smacking ice cream menu by sitting either on the bar stools or at low height tables with seats along the length of the counter. This parlour was duly recognized and honoured with The Presidential award in the ice-cream business.

During 1970s Jafar's parlour moved to Royapettai, Chennai. Later the cinema complex was converted into Raheja Complex, a shopping mall and was opened in 1981.

Reference:

1. Cinema at Round Tana The Hindu Jun 25, 2003 http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/06/25/stories/2003062500120300.htm
2. M Jafar & Co  http://www.mjafarco.com/
3. Jaffars: Those were the days when…. By che_david http://chennai.metblogs.com/2006/11/23/jaffars-those-were-the-days-when/

Historic 'Electric Cinema Theatre' turns to 'Philatelic Bureau' in Anna Salai, Chennai

The quaint red and white building stands at the Mount Road (Anna Salai) Post Office premises  has over 100 years  history.  It is learned from the plaque that this building was built in 1900 by Warwick Major and and Reginald Eyre. Later in 1913 these two people converted this as cinema (cinematography) theatre and named it as 'electric theatre.'  There this event makes the year 2013, officially the 100th year of Indian cinema.

Often historically there is a confusion about the first cinema theatre in India. The 'electric theatre' often claimed and even reported in newspaper columns as the first cinema (silent movie) theatre in India as well as in Madras (Chennai). Truly speaking Mrs.Klug was the first one to develop 'permanent cinema theatre' by name “The Broadway Bioscope” or simply “The Bioscope” in April 1911 in the first floor of No. 16, Popham's Broadway in George Town (just south of Loane Square and opposite Harrison and Co.), Madras. However at the initial stages the cinema theatre was not a purpose built one for screening films. After a months interval (May 30, 1911) Mrs.Klug claimed her theatre as permanent one for film shows. The building which housed Mrs. Klug's Bio scope still exists in Broadway, George Town, Chennai. Therefore Mrs.Klug's 'The Broadway Bioscope' at Popham merits as the first permanent cinema theatre.  The Warwick Major's 'electric theatre' could be claimed as the first theatre in Mount Road zone. In the same year (1913) another theatre known by name, the 'Lyric theatre' began screening silent movie at the first floor of the building known as Misquith & Co.”

Two years later, 'electric theatre' was closed down by the owners and the building was sold to Postal and Telegraph Department in 1915 and the brief cinema history came to an end. In recent years, the facade of the building and a part of its interior have been restored and serve, since 1998, as the city's Philatelic Bureau. However its importance is concerned with its historical significance than its architectural features. Chennai has a long and vibrant philatelic tradition and the exhibitions at Philatelic Bureau are becoming the regular feature.

These two theatres led to a gradual rise to few more cinema theatres in the city. Raghupati Venkaiah Naidu was the first Indian to own cinema theatre in Madras. He developed Gaiety Talkies in 1913 on Mount Road as the first Indian-owned cinema theatre. Later he also developed Crown Theatre (1916) on Mint street and Globe Theatre (1917) in Purasaiwakkam (later named as Roxy). The other cinema theatres include Elphinstone (1915), Wellington (1918), Empire cinema later renamed Minerva Theatre (1920), Imperial Cinema - a later renamed as Star Talkies (1924) and Broadway Theatre (1924). 

Reference:

1. Chennai's first cinema house now serves as philatelic bureau http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-31/chennai/46869064_1_postmaster-building-cinema
2. Looking back on Chennai’s first ever Electric Theatre http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1445780.ece?service=print
3.  Madras’s first cinema theatre http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/07/16/stories/2007071650970500.htm
4. Our tryst with celluloid magic http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/our-tryst-with-celluloid-magic/article570403.ece
5. Urban mobility and the history of cinema going by Stephen Hughes. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/11998/1/Hughes_Urban_Mobility.pdf