Albert Theatre: the fading of Rajini’s fortress in Madras

The lights were out, a torn, old poster of a film fluttered in the wind, and on the pavement, a woman constable was fidgeting with her mobile phone. This wasn’t just another regular Thursday night, it was a special night lit up by the luminescence that Rajinikanth exudes when his film hits the theatres.

Yet, Albert theatre complex remained eerily silent. The gates were shut. Outside, the odd long-distance bus to southern Tamil Nadu, whizzed past. While the rest of Chennai and Tamil Nadu were agog with the excitement swirling around Jailer 2, a particular corner in Egmore had a funereal air.

Time flies, empires crumble, theatres vanish, and love wanes: these are eternal truths. But when Albert and Baby Albert turned deathly quiet, it marked a shift in the celluloid history of Madras. Albert wasn’t just another theatre, it used to be Rajini’s fortress.

If Rohini complex is supposed to be the ‘first day, first show’ favourite now, earlier, specifically for Rajini films, Albert was the barometer to judge how his films would fare. The superstar himself would turn up to gauge the public’s mood.

Rajini turf

When he swaggered in with his white ensemble outfit singing ‘Malayala karaiyorathil Thamizh paadum kuruvi’ in Rajadhi Raja, Albert erupted with applause. This was 1989, and for those staying in Pudupet, Chintadripet, and Egmore, Albert was the most convenient theatre to catch Rajini’s latest flick.

Later, when he teamed up with Mammootty in Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi in 1991, Albert again was packed to the rafters. The gangster drama inspired by the Mahabharata, and with the right emotional quotient and stunning visuals, was a treat to watch on the giant screen.

Almost every Rajini blockbuster found its maiden raucous applause at Albert. Perhaps the highest moment was reserved for Baashha in 1995. This was commercial cinema at its finest and it elevated Rajini’s superstardom higher into the stratosphere. To catch that movie at Albert, was a special vibe.

Over the years, the box-office potential of a Rajini film was judged first at Albert. Be it a Padayappa that was a monster hit, or a Baba that remained lukewarm, Albert offered the early signs. To see such a complex linger in the shade now, having the odd release, then closing the gates, perhaps slipping into rigor mortis, is such a tragedy.

The melancholy worsens when a Rajini-starrer is drawing the crowds elsewhere. Recently, Anna shut down, S2 Theyagaraja has stopped functioning at Thiruvanmiyur, and Albert seems headed down that road towards oblivion.

When a movie hall winds down, it triggers nostalgia about moments spent inside its large space, about bunking classes and catching a movie, and the reminiscence over puffs and soft drinks consumed during the interval. Specifically for Rajini fans, Albert’s projectors dimming is a wound that will fester.

Maybe there will be a second wind. “We are trying to resolve an ongoing minor issue. In fact, we are working towards resolving it before Deepavali,” said Mariappan, manager of Albert theatre. A tenuous hope floats.