Childhood Memories - Madras City in 1960s - T Nagar and Paanagal Park

During my childhood (late 1950s and full 1960s), there was a cinema hall named "Rajakumari Theater" on the main road of Pondy Bazar in T Nagar, that screened many English films for children at concession rates. It was owned by the Original Dream Girl of the cinema industry, T.R. Rajakumari (the popular Tamil actress from 1935 to 1963). She was also a renowned singer and producer. As a child, I would watch movies with my siblings once or twice a month. My father used to send us mostly to the Noon shows on these occasions, as they were suitable for children ( and often screened at reduced rates).

Often, it was the screen of this Rajkumari Theater that drew my attention more than the movie itself. It was a golden and regal screen. I used to feel blissful watching it ripple up and down in a mesmerizing way. 

Our home was in West Mambalam, and this cinema hall was within a mile from there, accessible via Pangal Park. We could walk leisurely and reach the hall in 20 minutes. I remember watching the famous movie "Mera Naam Joker" and another beautiful film called "The Sound of Music" at that theatre. I watched Mera Naam Joker many times after that as an adult. Now, I watched "The Sound of Music" again on Hotstar at the age of 70 to relive those childhood memories.

Panagal Park used to be full of greenery with small plants and big trees surrounding grassy plots. We used to walk from the house to the park on Sunday evenings and spend some time there enjoying the beautiful scenery while eating fried groundnuts (now they call it peanuts). There was a small library inside the park for children to read comic books. We sat there till late evenings, enjoying the stories.

While going to the park or returning, we used to peek into the cloth markets and other shops in Pondy Bazar. There used to be all kinds of items, even occupying the footpaths, from clothes to footwear to jewellery, fancy, plastic, porcelain, etc.

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