The BBMP has again decided to revamp and reopen the iconic Puttanna Kanagal Theatre in Jayanagar.
This comes as good news for movie buffs. However, a word of caution: The BBMP had opened this theatre earlier too but the it had turned the theatre into a virtual trashcan and thereafter closed it down and made it into a makeshift police station and later into an illegal shop.
This theatre is part of the Jayanagar 4th Block shopping complex. The decision to revamp the theatre was taken during the term of Bharat Lal Meena as Palike Commissioner and is set to be implemented in the coming months as per Palike sources.
Deccan Herald quotes BBMP Sources saying “As the decision to hand over the entire complex to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) was dropped, it’s just a matter of some paper work now” they further added that this is expected to be completed in a few weeks. The Jayanagar shopping complex will acquire a swanky look with the Palike’s green signal to redesign the project.
The Puttanna Kanagal Theatre, which was actually started in the early ’70s (1973-74), was re-named after the legendary Kannada film director after BBMP(Then known as BCC) took over the thetre in the late 80's and was forced to make it into a "Kannada Only" theatre which turned out to be a bad decision. It has a seating capacity of about 500.
In the 70's, The then Bangalore Municipal Council had given it on lease to a private operator who operated it as Poonam Theatre and used to show films of All languages, including Hindi, English and Kannada and the theatre was running to packed houses.
