<p> The city’s iconic cinema hall Navarang on Dr Rajkumar Road in Rajajinagar is the latest in the line of single screen theatres that closed down as they failed to withstand the wave of multiplex culture. Navarang’s closure for renovation comes a day after Tribhuvan and Kailash theatres halted the screening. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The city once had over 150 theatres. In the last decade, 60 single screen halls were shut. Now, there are 98 single screen theatres and 29 multiplexes.<br /><br />Low profits and changing audience preference have forced the owner for the renovation. “We will renovate the theatre by December and introduce Audi-1 and Audi-2 in the existing structure with better facilities,” the theatre owner KCN Mohan told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />“Navarang is unable to handle the pressure especially after Nandini closed. Our profits are meagre due to multiplexes. We want to change as per the changing demands of audience and hence decided to end the single screen facility,” he added.<br /><br />“Some of my friends demolished their theatres and wanted to build commercial complexes for more profit. They failed to realise their projects for various reasons and landed in trouble. Some retail bigwigs approached my family proposing demolition and construction of a commercial shopping mall, but my father was opposed to the idea. Hence, I have decided to renovate, but not demolish,” Mohan added.<br /><br />“We will try our best to renovate the existing theatre without affecting screening of movies, but screening may be halted for about a month. Navarang theatre has a seating capacity of 1,100 and Audi-1 and 2 will have 250 and 500 seats respectively,” he said adding that the renovation will be done at a cost of Rs 2 crore. <br /><br />Textile industrialist KCN Gowda, a native of Doddaballapur, had bought a site in an auction conducted by Bangalore City Improvement Trust Board for Rs 65,000. A group of theatre owners approached him on the same night and offered Rs 1.30 lakh for the site, but he rejected the offer. <br /><br />The then Mysore government Chief Minister B D Jatti laid the foundation for Navarang on June 30, 1961, while the then chief minister S Nijalingappa inaugurated it on August 22, 1963. Architect Isaac Vincent designed the theatre. The theatre began its journey with Rajkumar-starrer Veera Kesari, recalled Mohan. <br /><br />Navarang theatre holds a unique record of screening every film of Dr Rajkumr, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Shivarajkumar and Punith Rajkumar. “At one point in time, people were under the impression that Navarang theatre was owned by Dr Rajkumar family” Mohan says.<br /><br /> “We decided not to screen Tamil movies anticipating protests. We are forced to screen English, Hindi and Telugu movie over the last few years due to various <br />reasons,” he said.</p>
<p> The city’s iconic cinema hall Navarang on Dr Rajkumar Road in Rajajinagar is the latest in the line of single screen theatres that closed down as they failed to withstand the wave of multiplex culture. Navarang’s closure for renovation comes a day after Tribhuvan and Kailash theatres halted the screening. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The city once had over 150 theatres. In the last decade, 60 single screen halls were shut. Now, there are 98 single screen theatres and 29 multiplexes.<br /><br />Low profits and changing audience preference have forced the owner for the renovation. “We will renovate the theatre by December and introduce Audi-1 and Audi-2 in the existing structure with better facilities,” the theatre owner KCN Mohan told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />“Navarang is unable to handle the pressure especially after Nandini closed. Our profits are meagre due to multiplexes. We want to change as per the changing demands of audience and hence decided to end the single screen facility,” he added.<br /><br />“Some of my friends demolished their theatres and wanted to build commercial complexes for more profit. They failed to realise their projects for various reasons and landed in trouble. Some retail bigwigs approached my family proposing demolition and construction of a commercial shopping mall, but my father was opposed to the idea. Hence, I have decided to renovate, but not demolish,” Mohan added.<br /><br />“We will try our best to renovate the existing theatre without affecting screening of movies, but screening may be halted for about a month. Navarang theatre has a seating capacity of 1,100 and Audi-1 and 2 will have 250 and 500 seats respectively,” he said adding that the renovation will be done at a cost of Rs 2 crore. <br /><br />Textile industrialist KCN Gowda, a native of Doddaballapur, had bought a site in an auction conducted by Bangalore City Improvement Trust Board for Rs 65,000. A group of theatre owners approached him on the same night and offered Rs 1.30 lakh for the site, but he rejected the offer. <br /><br />The then Mysore government Chief Minister B D Jatti laid the foundation for Navarang on June 30, 1961, while the then chief minister S Nijalingappa inaugurated it on August 22, 1963. Architect Isaac Vincent designed the theatre. The theatre began its journey with Rajkumar-starrer Veera Kesari, recalled Mohan. <br /><br />Navarang theatre holds a unique record of screening every film of Dr Rajkumr, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Shivarajkumar and Punith Rajkumar. “At one point in time, people were under the impression that Navarang theatre was owned by Dr Rajkumar family” Mohan says.<br /><br /> “We decided not to screen Tamil movies anticipating protests. We are forced to screen English, Hindi and Telugu movie over the last few years due to various <br />reasons,” he said.</p>
