Museum of Lost Objects: Kashmir’s Palladium cinema

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2017

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kanishk Tharoor explores artefacts and landmarks caught up in India and Pakistan's independence in 1947. In this episode, the life and times of the Palladium cinema. The Palladium was one of Srinagar’s oldest and most popular movie theatres. It was on Lal Chowk, a square in the heart of the city. From the 1940s, the building was the backdrop to many of Kashmir's major political events. Today it stands in ruins, an unexpected casualty of the ongoing conflict, and now, there are no public cinemas left in Srinagar. Contributors: Neerja Mattoo; Krishna Mishri; Imtiyaz Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf With thanks to Andrew Whitehead Image: Cadets during a National Conference rally at Lal Chowk, Srinagar 1944 Credit: India Picture

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Museum of Lost Objects on the BBC World Service. I'm Kanesh Tharouh.
0:15.5	In this episode, India and Pakistan's dispute for Kashmir told through the life and times
0:20.6	of one building.
0:25.6	My very first memory of the polygium is that it was very close to my house. It was
0:30.8	walking distance. We'd walk there to watch a movie and we'd walk back home. It was that close.
0:35.9	The playtium cinema was one of the oldest cinemas in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir.
0:40.8	You could find it on Laalchok, a square at the heart of the city.
0:44.6	Cinema was the major source of entertainment. People here were very fond of movies.
0:51.6	I used to go to Paladu with my friends to watch films. I remember we watched Genghis Khan.
0:58.6	I also watched lots of Bollywood movies such as Anji and Sholeh. Amitabh Bachchan starred
1:05.1	on a lot of these movies.
1:21.6	The playtium was built in the 1930s. It was Art Deco in style with two central pillars
1:31.2	and the low walls covered in blue mosaic. Over the decade, the outside of the building
1:35.6	was painted different colours, bright yellow, green and blue. What happened inside the
1:40.5	playtium was always a source of wonder.
1:42.5	The rain in Spain stays mainly in the play.
1:49.5	I remember seeing my fair lady. I don't know two or three times.
1:53.5	The rain in Spain stays mainly in the play.
1:58.5	I think she's got it. I think she's got it.
2:01.5	And what about Mary Poppins?
2:03.5	Now then, what had been nice? We'll start with raspberry ice and then
2:08.5	with some cakes and tea.
	...

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