Corporation’s Amma Theatres initiative yet to take off

The Corporation had initially planned to convert two of its air-conditioned meeting halls – Amma Arangam in Shenoy Nagar and Sir Pitty Thiyagaraya Hall in T Nagar – into the first set of ‘Amma Theatres’. There was even talk of Corporation identifying vacant lands for additional cost-effective cinema halls across the city. While there was opposition from theatre owners, the project had garnered support. However, four years later, the plan remains on paper, failing to take off, after much back and forth between the Corporation and the state government.

D Karthikeyan, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, said that the civic body cannot convert the existing auditoriums into a cinema hall as official events are regularly conducted on its premises. “Amma Arangam is used for public functions attended by ministers and other officials.

Public events too are conducted here. We cannot close the auditorium now,” he added. In 2016, the project gained a new lease of life as the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) was appointed as a consultant, which would help the civic body with recommendations towards not only the creation of the facility but also its operation. Sources in the Corporation said that even recently, a round of discussion had taken place regarding the project. “However, nothing came of that,” added the source.

It is also learnt that NFDC has pulled out from the project. When contacted, D Ramakrishnan, deputy general manager (south), NFDC, said, “We are no longer the consultants for the initiative.” The Commissioner clarified that the project has not been shelved. “Though we have not cancelled the project, there has been no move towards initiating it. The Corporation is under a financial crunch and the project has been in the backburner,” added the Corporation chief.