For some, an expedition to the cinema hall is akin to a religious experience. Film historian Debashree Mukherjee’s first memory of visiting a huge picture palace in Visakhapatnam dates back to the 1980s. “Samudrika,” she recalls, was “deliciously old world and opulent, with a magnificent carpeted winding staircase and chandeliers.
”The mystical experience seems deeply familiar. The pitch-darkness, being ushered to seats with tunnels of torchlight, collective laughs and gasps cutting through cinematic plots, tension and emotions reigning supreme. With each unique viewing, the cinema and viewer become bound in a sacrosanct relationship.
Source: What the Loss of Movie Theaters Means for a Culture | The Swaddle