Tirunelveli, touring talkies and tent cinemas: multiple stories of single-screens

This article discusses the significance of single-screen theatres, notably Thangam Theatre in Madurai, which had a large seating capacity and long film runs, and draws attention to the uniqueness of Touring Talkies, mostly in Tirunelveli; the tent-like structures that offered movie screenings in rural areas, including their unique atmosphere and experience. While recording personal memories and experiences of watching films in touring talkies, which includes seating arrangements, breaks during the movie, technologies, and social dynamics within the theatre, the challenges faced by touring talkies are foregrounded – such as government regulations, lack of support from insurance companies and banks, and competition from permanent theatres and online streaming platforms. The engagement with the stardom of the Southern superstars Sivaji Ganesan and MGR during the 1960s and the 70s, and their reception in semi-urban and rural areas, also sheds light on the cinephilia of the owners of Touring Talkies. The contemporary status of touring theatres in Tamil Nadu is analysed with Sri Lakshmi and Ganesh Talkies as the last remaining ones and new concepts like inflatable mobile theatres are discussed in the context of the challenges faced by touring theatres in adapting to changing audience preferences and technological advancements. This article is an elegiac remembrance of the Touring Talkies experience.