Kerala Facebook group stages Baashha screening to revive analogue cinema
A Kerala-based Theatre Diaries collective staged an analogue screening of Baashha, with film reels, traditional projectors, and staff honoured, highlighting the fading craft of pre-digital cinema. A second show is planned as demand grows, part of a broader effort to document theatre history and pres
Key takeaways
- A Kerala Facebook collective staged Baashha using film reels and traditional projectors at Kripa theatre near Perumbavoor.
- The event featured free passes distributed at the ticket counter and a bicycle-delivered film reel to the venue.
- Two analogue projectors were used, and one required restoration work by a technician.
- The organisers could not secure a Malayalam reel and used a Tamil print instead, underscoring preservation challenges for local films.
- A second screening is scheduled for August 16, and the group plans broader efforts to document theatre history and livelihoods.
What Happened
A group of theatre workers and enthusiasts in Kerala, calling itself Theatre Diaries and administrated via a Facebook collective, organised an analogue screening of Rajinikanth’s Baashha at Kripa theatre in Kurumassery near Perumbavoor on August 5. The event aimed to recreate the pre-digital movie-going experience, using a film reel carried to the venue on a bicycle and managed with traditional projectors. The screening was free, with complimentary passes distributed at the ticket counter, and audience members queued to collect them. The theatre owner, Anto Ilanjippilli, provided two analogue projectors, one of which required restoration by a technician after several days of work. Several employees with decades of experience in running the machinery were publicly recognised during the event.
Initial planning indicated Baashha was not the first choice; organisers originally sought a Malayalam film but were unable to obtain a high-quality reel, highlighting preservation challenges for local prints. The organisers have announced a repeat screening at the same venue on August 16 in response to demand from people who could not attend the weekday showing.
Beyond this screening, Theatre Diaries intends to broaden its efforts. The group wants to organise more programmes on the history of theatres and the technological shifts that have reshaped the industry, and it aims to build a repository documenting theatres that have shut down to serve as reference material for future studies.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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