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With Dolby sound, 4k projection systems, this single screen theatre in Pune gives tough competition to multiplexes
Kibe Laxmi Theatre (known as Prabhat Theatre) will enter into the 85th year on September 21, 1934 and eighth generation owners Suresh and Ajay Kibe are happy to continue this business started by their grandfather despite the threat of many single screen theatres like Alpana, Vijayand, Anant, Globe and Westend losing their business to multiplexes.
September 21, 1934 was when Ramchandra Mukund Kibe first thought of building a theatre for entertainment of the locals living in the Appa Balwant chowk, Shaniwar peth and Narayan peth areas of the city. Thus began the journey of Kibe Laxmi Theatre (known as Prabhat Theatre), which has been successfully screening Marathi films for the past 84 years. As they enter into the 85th year, eighth generation owners Suresh and Ajay Kibe are happy to continue this business started by their grandfather despite the threat of many single screen theatres like Alpana, Vijayand, Anant, Globe and Westend losing their business to multiplexes.
“Earlier in 1926, our wada and the very first printing press stood where the present Kibe Laxmi Theatre stands in Pune. Both the wada and the printing press were destroyed in a fire,” said Suresh Kibe. “My grandparents Ramchandra Kibe and his wife Laxmi (after whom the theatre has been named) had asked locals what they needed in that area. The area was huge then and my forefathers had also contributed along with David Sassoon to build Nivara, the old age home in 1905. My grandparents realised that there was no place for entertainment, hence, we built a theatre. My grandparents thought of a theatre for natya sangeet and even if you look at the present theatre, it has a stage and a green room too,” he adds.
The Kibes have spent over a crore to restore the theatre to its old glory with modern equipment of Dolby sound systems and 4K projection systems. “We are surviving and will do so as long as we have our audience,” said Kibe.
The Kibes were not cinema oriented at all, hence, when Prabhat Film Company came from Kolhapur to Pune, they gave it to the Damles to run it as the Prabhat film theatre in 1934 on lease. The lease got over in 2016 and the Kibes took over. Over the years, Prabhat (Kibe Laxmi theatre) was the theatre where Marathi films ran to houseful audiences. Even other theatre owners like Vilas Tapre, owner of Vasant Talkies, would head over to Prabhat to watch a Marathi film.
“We opened Vasant talkies in 1935 near Budhwar peth, but we were always screening Hindi films and would head to this beautiful structure with good sound to watch the latest Marathi film,” said Tapre.
PD Kadam, recalls his school days, when he and his friends would sneak out of Modern High School to watch a Marathi film at Prabhat (Kibe Laxmi).
According to Deepak Kudale, president, cinema owners and exhibitors association of India, “Prabhat, (Kibe Laxmi) was one of the oldest theatres along with Shreenath Theatre which is on the verge of closure due to lack of audience. People nowadays want air-conditioned rooms with plush seats, food to eat and have no regard for single theatres. They are on the edge, but Kibe Laxmi adds a ray of hope for other single screen theatre owners.”
