The Forgotten Story of Pune's Very First Movie Theatre
In the 1910s, the history of going to the movies in Pune began in a simple shed. This was Napier Cinema, widely considered the city's first theatre. During the silent film era, this makeshift space in Poona Cantonment transported paying audiences to other worlds. It demonstrated the abiding power of cinema from its earliest days.
From Shed to Neo-Classical Landmark
Mustansir Dalvi, an architect and professor, writes about this transformation in a blog post titled A Cinema House in Poona. With time and growing popularity, Napier Cinema underwent a major refurbishment by around 1919. It became a well-boned neo-Classical building. The new structure featured timber framing and a stone gable. A Baroque-ish front punctuated the design, marking a significant upgrade from its humble origins.
Dalvi notes that Napier Cinema was very popular in its time. Several historical accounts of Poona mention it. One peculiar feature stood out: the screening of serials. These were short features with interminable stories that attracted masses to the theatre every week.
American Films and Cultural Impact
The book Mehera-Meher: A Divine Romance by David Fenster mentions American films screened at Napier Cinema. Among them was The Broken Coin from 1915. This adventure-mystery series was directed by Francis Ford. Fenster writes that new episodes aired weekly. However, audiences eventually grew tired as the story seemed to go on forever without a conclusion.
Landmarks surrounded the cinema, adding to its charm. A fountain and a bandstand were nearby. The Napier Cinema Band would play at the bandstand, creating a vibrant atmosphere for moviegoers.
Transformation into West End Cinema
By 1931, Napier Cinema had transformed into West End cinema. Even in its new building, traces of the old theatre remained visible. The facade displayed the name West End twice: on the second-floor balcony balustrade and on a vertical mast atop the building. The original gable and timber staircase from the old theatre were still part of the structure.
The premises featured a low boundary wall. Posters of the shows were prominently displayed there. Dalvi describes the new front as fitting the fashions of the time. It had a cantilevered porch, fake arches, and vertical ornament striping its sides. While not an Art Deco building, West End showed proto-Deco flattened ornament, sloping chajjas, and Palladian symmetry. A protruding porch supported on concrete brackets highlighted these design elements.
Later Years and Demolition
By the late 1960s and early 1980s, West End cinema screened films of dubious merit from around the world. Examples include the American production Sssssssnake with its tagline 'Once this motion picture sinks its fangs into you, you'll never be the same'. Another was 3 Fantastic Supermen from Italy, a campy film that some critics say acquired cult status.
Dalvi shares a personal memory from his childhood in Pune. He was taken to watch Lost in the Desert from South Africa as a school outing in Class II or III. He recalls it as a horribly traumatic choice. The film depicted terrible things happening to a child, including being spat in the eye by a venomous snake after surviving a plane crash.
In the 1980s, West End cinema was demolished. This event brought down the curtains on an era of cinema-going in Pune. The landmark that started as a shed in the 1910s had finally met its end, leaving behind a rich but forgotten history.
