| Location | Chennai,Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Opened | 12 January 1961 (1961-01-12) |
| Closed | May 2016 |
| Builder |
|
Shanti Theatre was an Indianmovie theatre inChennai,Tamil Nadu. Built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, and inaugurated in January 1961, it was bought by actorSivaji Ganesan, and was owned by his family since. In May 2016, Shanti ceased screening films, and was re-invented by its owners as office space.
Shanti Theatre was built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja,[1] then the Raja ofSivaganga.[2] It was inaugurated on 12 January 1961 by thenChief Minister of Tamil Nadu,K. Kamaraj, and was the first deluxeair-conditioned theatre in Madras (now Chennai) with 1212 seats. The inaugural show wasSrinivasa Kalyanam, and the first film to be released there officially wasThooya Ullam, followed by the Hindi film,Kalpana.[3]
Paava Mannippu, a Tamil film, was released in Shanti on 16 March 1961. When the film's original promoters were facing a repayment cash crisis, they approached starSivaji Ganesan who agreed to invest, and eventually bought out the promoters.[3] The theatre had been owned by Ganesan's family ever since. The theatre is widely believed to have been named after Ganesan's daughter Shanti. According to Ganesan's nephew Giri Shanmugam, "Shanti Theatre became a landmark in the city because it was owned by the great Sivaji Ganesan. Watching a Sivaji movie in Shanti was on the must-to-do list, besides seeingMarina Beach andLIC – the only 14-storeyed building in the city then, for most visitors from other parts of Tamil Nadu."[3]
AfterPaava Mannippu, the theatre proceeded to screen an additional 81 films starring Ganesan. Some of his films likePaava Mannippu,Thiruvilaiyadal,Vasantha Maligai,Thanga Pathakkam,Thirisoolam andMuthal Mariyathai becamesilver jubilee films,[a] while others achieved a 100-day run. During the celebrations ofKarnan's 100th day in 1964, the theatre wore a festive look, with a real chariot created and kept for display.N. T. Rama Rao, who portrayedKrishna in that film, attended the event with various stars from the film.[3]
In 1964, the Hindi filmSangam ran for 188 days in the theatre. When it was running successfully, Ganesan faced a dilemma; his own production,Puthiya Paravai, was scheduled to release and he was eager to release it in Shanti. WhenSangam's lead actorRaj Kapoor learnt of this, he personally requested Ganesan to allow a longer run forSangam in Shanti, since no other theatre in Madras had such facilities; Ganesan assented and releasedPuthiya Paravai at the nearby Paragon theatre.[3] TheSivaji Productions filmChandramukhi (2005) played for 888 days straight in Shanti.[2]
In mid-2016, it was announced that Shanti would no longer be a theatre, and would be re-invented as a multiplex, while still retaining the name Shanti.[4] The last film to be screened was24.[5]
In 2020, it was decided that the theatre located in arterial Anna Salai would be converted into complex hosting various offices. Owner of theatre complex had entered into joint venture with Real Estate Developers, Akshaya Pvt Ltd and planned to rename the building Akshaya Shanti Office Suites, having office space of 86,783 sq. ft with sale or lease options and with additional space for gymnasium, built-in restaurant and terrace garden of 4,535 ft.[1]
