Photo Exhibition Invite

[Balaji Maheshwar]

Hi ,

I invite you all to the exhibition of my Photo Story "Talkies" on Minerva theatre,the oldest  and the first A/c theatre of madras.The venue is the theatre itself as  I want the people around the theatre,regulars,daily wagers(people who are responsible for making the theatre to stand with Indian Cinema for 97 years) to experience it. The idea is to bring next-generation crowd to the theatre


“We used to love going to Minerva in Broadway — a small, beautiful theatre that screened some of the best films. We always walked back home after the late night show because there was no transport and by the end of the month, we didn’t have the money”-Singeetham srinivasa rao(Indian Film Director)

“We never went to restaurants or cafes because it was a question of money. Minerva was the only small AC theatre around showing English films. “-K.Balachander(Indian Film Director)


The first time I went inside minerva in 2011,I felt that I am so lucky as I got a chance to see a MGR movie in which my grand father had acted as a villain.Chances to see old movies of my grandfather in big screens are very less.Minerva gave me the opportunity to experience it.

At its heyday,Minerva theatre used to be one of the most popular hangouts in the city of Chennai.The theatre,operational right from the British rule was once dubbed as the "Coolest and Most Comfortable theatre in the Presidency".

I enter the theatre bearing in my mind,the rich history that the theatre has to offer.But all semblances of a past glory vaporize when one steps inside.

Like so many other theatres in Chennai,Minerva too has fallen in to times of despair.The seats are infested with algae,torn and broken.The ambience inside is putrefying.Dust laden aisles,rusted buckets and sleepy looking people welcome me as I enter the hall.
It becomes evident at the very moment that the theatre is a picture of decay and disintegration.

The people who come there to watch the movies are unlike any other.Daily labourers,drunkards,dope addicts unable to bear the scorching heat take refugee in the compartively cooler interiors of the theare.The credit that the theatre has survived till date almost entirely goes to them and to the theatre owner,Mr.Batcha who has managed to salvage the place from extinction.

My intentions through these photographs has been entirely to document the present,transient state of the once glorious theatre.Maybe within the coming months,Minerva may have to be entirely destroyed to facilitate a high rise building or a mall but the fact is,it still stands and shares with it a momentous piece of history.I would like to humbly celebrate and reflect the same through this medium.

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Thanks and Regards

Balaji Maheshwar

+91-9884536570

[sarathy selvamani]

balaji.. sathyama.. avalavu santhosham to receive this invite.. but inversly proportionate to my situation of being tied up in malaysia in the race behind money.. 

Manamarntha Vazhthukkal...

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[guru nathan]

Great job!
Way to go! Our support is always there!

regards
GuruNathan

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From: sarathy selvamani <sarat...@gmail.com>
To: tea...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, 15 June 2013 10:26 PM
Subject: Re: [ CWC ] Photo Exhibition Invite

[srivatsan sankaran]

My best wishes to you ,Balaji.:-) 

May god bless you! 

Regards,

Srivatsan Sankaran

[Kals]

All the best Balaji. A great heartfelt initiative. And wish u more luck on such endeqvours

[dillibabusri K]

All the best Balaji........ 

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Dilli
9952075664

[jagadeesh sundaramurthy]

Nice thought and Move on :)

All the best for your future thoughts 

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Regards
S.Jagadeesh 
Be Veg. Go Green.

[karthikeyan.chinnathamby]

Hi balaji,

Vaalthukkal...!

I won't miss it. Thank you for the invitation.

Regards,
Karthikeyan C

---- On Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:38:45 +0530 Balaji Maheshwar<balajim...@gmail.com> wrote ----

[barani daran]

Great Work da ... congrats ...  :)  :)

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Regards

D.Baranidaran
+91 9884411616

Sent from my desktop computer ( Assembled )  :-)  :-)

[Akilan R Thamaraiselvan]

Balaji unna nenaicha perumaiya irukku... En manamartha vaazhthukkal da. Kandippa miss panna maten. Inspire us more...!

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"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here in earth"

Regards,
Akilan Thamaraiselvan
+91-99403 18578.
www.akilselvan.com

[Balaji Maheshwar]

nandri ji :)

[Balaji Maheshwar]

Thanks everyone :).See u on 6th.

[saran]

Congrats and all the best Balaji...Will come there on the exhibition day.

Saravanan D

[Anand G Anand]

Macha ., kalakku ., :) god bless ., 

Unfortunately dates are clashing with my leh ladak trip ., :( gonna miss ., but sure ah will see d pic's ., 

My best wishes :)

Regds

Anand G Anand 
Apple Blossom's Photography 

Anand G

[Diwakar Vijayaraghavan]

All the very Best Balaji.