Cinema-going in a mofussil town: recalling the life and times of Lakshmi Talkies, Allahabad

This article presents a narrative history of Lakshmi Talkies, Allahabad (now called Prayagraj). By deploying methods of oral history writing, described as ‘katha’ mode (a story telling style), the article shows how ‘katha’ involves remembering, recalling and narrating. By applying an interdisciplinary approach, for instance, by combing methods of studying urban histories, public cultures, film history and approaches of writing oral narratives, the article weaves a series of testimonies, personal experiences, and by referring to a range of print-publicity material, it recounts the unique story of Allahabad, its socio-cultural milieu, vibrant print cultures, and shows how the location of the Lakshmi Talkies – its proximity to Allahabad University and the Bazaar – made it into a distinct place for cultural dealings. The article offers a thorough history of the setting up of Lakshmi Talkies, its capital investments, architecture, structural transformations over the years, and demonstrates in what way the single-theatre was not only a space to view films, rather, it was, also , a place for meeting and gathering. Like many B-tier town cinema-halls, as well as peri-urban and peripheral theatres in India, Lakshmi Talkies, too, screened ‘re-run’ or ‘second-run’ films and targeted the youth, especially the college-going girls and boys. What emanates from the testimonies are vivid descriptions of being in the cinema, the frenzy around films, the fascinations for film-songs, posters, the headiness of film-viewing cultures in a mofussil town and a complex history of cinema in India.