Bengaluru's Iconic Urvashi Theatre on Lalbagh Road Demolished After SC Ruling

Operations to dismantle Urvashi Theatre, one of Bengaluru’s most prominent single-screen cinemas located on Lalbagh Road, began on Monday as workers started clearing chairs and equipment from the complex ahead of its demolition.

The demolition comes after an eight-year legal battle between the theatre's operators and the property owners. The lease for the cinema hall expired in 2018, following which the landowners refused to renew the agreement and initiated eviction proceedings. The Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of the landowners, ordering the tenants to vacate and demolish the structure.

Urvashi Theatre stood on Lalbagh Road for nearly 50 years. The cinema was originally built by Kannada film producer K C N Gowda and was inaugurated by veteran actor Rajkumar. Before the theatre was constructed, the land was home to a pond and a rest-house used by commuters and travellers.

Over the decades, the single-screen hall built a reputation for its massive auditorium, which housed more than 1,150 seats, alongside a massive screen and advanced audio technology. The cinema was widely recognised for its Meyer Sound system, often showcasing the technology prior to film screenings with music ranging from classical Beethoven pieces to Daft Punk's 'Tron: Legacy' soundtrack.

While Urvashi screened films across several languages and hosted extended runs of Rajkumar's Kannada releases, it gained substantial popularity during the 1990s as a major destination for Hollywood movie releases in Bengaluru. Its large seating capacity, immersive audiovisual setup, and affordable pricing made it a staple for moviegoers in the city.

With the Supreme Court-mandated eviction and clearance now underway, what will be built on the Lalbagh Road site remains to be determined.