Playing the Anthem since 1973

'People used to visit Veeresh theatre just to listen to anthem'

Much before the Supreme Court’s verdict on Wednesday, Veeresh cinema, one of the oldest theatres on Magadi Road reintroduced playing national anthem in 1988, a practice it had discontinued in late seventies.

It is the only theatre among more than 100 single-screen theatres and 27 multiplexes in the city playing the national anthem before the start of the film. In the last 28 years, the national anthem is played without interruption even once.

“I felt proud after the Supreme Court’s verdict. Our endeavours of promoting patriotism and nationalism have been respected,” the theatre owner K V Chandrashekhara told DH.

A few decades ago, it was mandatory to play the national anthem after the film. Audience would go out of hall while the national anthem was being played and hence most halls stopped playing the national anthem.

“We played the national anthem till 1979. We introduced surround sound system in the theatre in 1988 for Hindi movie ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’. My brother, K V Dhananjaya, a Supreme Court advocate was bent upon reintroducing playing of the national anthem and hence we reintroduced,” he recalled.

It was very difficult for the owners to convince the audience to stand up while the national anthem was being played. “Many would argue with us, but over a period of time everyone started standing up as a mark of respect,” he says.

The owners renovated the theatre introducing one more screen in 2011 where the national anthem was played from the very first show. “I have come across many people going to Veeresh theatre only to listen the national anthem,” says Jack Manju, a film distributor.

R Veeranna, a farmer on Magadi Road, built the theatre as people in that locality had to go all the way to Navarang theatre to watch films. The BDA allotted him a site where he constructed the theatre in 1973 naming it Shanthala theatre.

The theatre was renamed as Veeresh theatre in 1988. Owners chose the name Veeresh as it was their family deity’s name.