Curtain for 89-year-old iconic Cinema House in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, September 3, 2019: The 89-year-old cinema in this border town – popularly known as Dhani Ram Theatre and later on as Raja Talkies, constructed in this border town in 1930, has been shut down and put on sale, after amicable settlement for the same among all the family members.
Single screen theatres are closing down anyways across the country as they are getting affected because there is competition from the multiplexes.
In fact, the old styled cinemas hall has lost its audience owning to the advent of multiplexes and movies on the internet and all the three cinemas – Raja Talkies, Shimla Talkies, and Joshi Palace. Only the Memorial Talkies is functioning in the dilapidated condition with shabby look but with visitors countable on finger.
Prior to partition, the Pakistanis – who were fond of Hindi movies used to come to Ferozepur via Hussainiwala Joint Check Post till 1971 to watch movies in the cinema halls and used to do fast business. But after the Indo-Pak war in 1971, the Hussainiwala JCP was closed for the traders from Pakistan. These theatres were also popular for screening English movies on every Sunday which attracted a big audience of Army Officers and their families stationed nearby. Even there had been also a one show on Thursday for ladies only, said to be free for them as they don’t wash clothes on this day.
Theatres will be a thing of past now and the young generation has liking for multiplexes with beautiful ambience and availability of food courts.