Malleswaram, a vibrant hub of food, culture, music, heritage, and festive shopping in Bengaluru, has always been synonymous with celebration. When it comes to entertainment, one landmark has stood tall for five decades – Sampi’s Theatre. However, this 50-year-old single-screen cinema run by two brothers, Annaiah and Venkatesh, an enduring symbol of nostalgia, is now grappling with operational challenges, raising fears of closure.
Located on Sampige Road, the theater takes its name not from its address but from the Sampige trees that once adorned the streets of Malleswaram. At its peak, the neighborhood boasted several single-screen theatres, including Kino, Nataraj, Gitanjali, Swastik, Central and Savita. Today, Sampige Theatre, with its 1,000-seat capacity, is the last of its kind, resisting the wave of multiplexes and OTT platforms that have reshaped India’s cinematic landscape.
The theater started in 1976 with the Vishnuvardhan-starrer Makkala Bhagya – a family entertainer. Filmmakers in Malleswaram recall that when the theater opened in the 70s or 80s, it was the practice to screen Doyen actor Rajkumar’s films first. However, it was the first Sampizh theater to break tradition and screen a Vishnuvardhan film. In fact, this also came at a time when the fan rivalry between the two Kannada superstars was at its peak. Notably, when Vishnuvardhan’s film Bandhan was released, the theater saw a huge rush of doctors. Vishnuvardhan plays the role of a doctor in the film.
Interestingly, Vishnuvardhan starrer Sose Thanda Saubhagya, the first Kannada film to be shot on CinemaScope, was first screened at Sampige Theatre. (Express photo Jitendra M.)
S Ramakrishna, a producer and script writer who has worked in Kannada and Tamil language films and a resident of Malleswaram, said that Sampij Theater has pioneered on many fronts. “Sampige Theater was the first to introduce the concept of midday shows in the 80s. The theater mainly screened Kannada language films By the 80s. However, after the 80s, the theater shifted towards showing more Tamil language films while balancing Kannada films. Tamil films were often screened in the morning and afternoon shows and attracted huge audiences,” he said. The Indian Express.
He said that for the first time the theater broke the tradition of not screening Rajkumar’s films. “The theater was seen as the stronghold of Vishnuvardhan films. Vishnuvardhan’s favorite theater was Sampige,” said Ramakrishna.
In fact, Ramakrishna also said that Sampige Theater held a ‘benefit show’ a day before the first performance, also known as a paid premium show. The benefit event is usually attended by celebrities and fans. “I still remember my first benefit show was Vishnuvardhan’s Vijay Vikram where he played a double role. The ticket price was Rs 1.25 paisa for general class, Rs two for middle class and Rs 2.50/75 paisa for balcony,” Ramakrishna said.
Interestingly, Vishnuvardhan starrer Sose Thanda Saubhagya, the first Kannada film to be shot on CinemaScope, was first screened at Sampige Theatre.
Moreover, apart from the family audience, the patronage of the Sampige Theater increased by the workers of the mill adjacent to the theater called Raja Mill (now Minister Square Mall).
When the theater moved towards screening mostly Tamil-language films after the 80s, it gathered mostly Tamil-speaking audiences from Srirampura and neighboring areas with a Tamil population. (Express photo Jitendra M.)
“Sampige Theater was in a perfect mode of celebration and entertainment. Raja Mill workers used to go out on their lunch break. They would gather in the park in front of the mill and eat together. Sometimes they would take a day off suddenly and go to Sampige to watch a movie. Opposite Sampige was also the new Krishna Bhavan, A famous food joint which is now closed. Workers also used to eat there and watch movies. So, Sampige Theater was strategically located in a perfect combination of work, food and entertainment.” Ramakrishna said.
When the theater moved towards screening mostly Tamil-language films after the 80s, it gathered mostly Tamil-speaking audiences from Srirampura and neighboring areas with a Tamil population. Johnny, starring Rajinikanth, was the first Tamil film to be screened at Sampige. In fact, Sampige Theater was also an entertainment destination for college going students of Seshadripuram College, located a few streets away from the theatre.
Although theaters have done a successful business over the past five decades, the declining quality of Indian cinema has also made it difficult for owners to meet rising operating and maintenance costs. Now Sampige joins the league of other single screen theaters like Kapali, Kaveri, Gitanjali, Nanda, and Shanti which shut down business due to financial and operational constraints.
Ramesh, one of the theater’s current partners and Venkatesh’s son, said The Indian Express The decline in the quality of the film has made their future look bleak. “We are not able to meet our operating and maintenance costs and we are in a very difficult situation financially. The movie is currently being screened in the theater, but we have to see what happens,” he said.
Ramakrishna said it was heartbreaking to see another single screen theater on the verge of closure. “The growth of OTT platforms and the declining quality of films has affected the business model of many single screen theatres. Sampige seems to be the latest victim,” he added.
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