The far-famed and one of the largest theater complexes in Chennai, Udhayam is in a subservient state to the raging worldwide economic recession. Housing four screens namely Udhayam, Mini Udhayam, Chandran and Suryan, the cinema hall is located in the vicinity of customer base catering to the people of Southern Chennai, since its inception in 1983. The place served as a pedestal base for blockbuster hits in the two decades and had a large fan following for the movies that opened in the complex. Madras High Court has called for bidders and Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj will be auctioning the property through the internet. The base price has been fixed by the high court as 100 crores and will adhere to changes once the bidders get going. Udhayam stands third in the city's largest cinema halls after Satyam Cinemas and Abhirami Mall. In contemporary times, Multiplex is a booming conceptualization all over India and proprietors of iconic cinema halls in Chennai have taken a back seat with the ingress of corporate companies like Adlabs, PVR and INOX. Landmark theaters of yesteryear including Alankar, Anand, Wellington and Sapphire were closed and faced repedation due to the inevitable changes in present times. Asia's largest theater, Thangam in Madurai with a seating capacity of over 1000 persons faced the same fate due to the global entrants. At present, mega malls housing multiplex theaters have sprouted in the city and the larger crowd is in favor of them albeit the high-priced ticket rates for the facilities offered. Filmdom is oblivious to the truth that screening 30 shows per day for the same movie in these multiplexes will obviously result in short run days. But, the perception of weekend collections is alluring to filmmakers and they apprehend it to be a safe bet. Satyam Cinemas, Abhirmi Mall, Mayajaal and Inox at Citi center have all reinvented themselves to be in the race. Reuters say Udhayam which is potentially a gold mine in the heart of the city, will most probably be converted into a shopping mall housing screens in the other floors. Further news about the theater's auction results and future plans are awaited after March 11th. Patrons wish the complex to be retained and continue as being their cherished spot for entertainment.
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