Your Next Movie Should Be At This 1883 Cinema Hall In North Kolkata

Take a break from overpriced multiplexes, dig into popcorn and some history at Star Theatre.

Did you know Kolkata got its very first theatre in 1883? And that this 135-year-old theatre still runs strong? Star Theatre is just a ten minute walk away from Shovabajar-Sutanuti metro station. Back when it began, it used to be a platform for theatre productions. Renowned actors like Girish Chandra Ghosh, Nati Binodini, Saraju Devi, Shishir Bhaduri, Dani Mitra, Uttam Kumar, Soumitra Chatterjee, Geeta Dey, Sabitri Chatterjee and Madhabi Mukherjee have all earned their stardom performing at Star.

This heritage building has also seen the birth of Bengali cinema — it was one of the places that screened the first Bengali motion picture. It brags of one of the best acoustics in Bengali single screens.

But what can I do here, you ask? Star Theatre regularly screens films even now, so if you want to catch up on the latest Bollywood or Tollywood blockbuster, just buy a matinee show ticket. They even screen the festival line-up of films during Kolkata International Film Festival. If you’re a theatre enthusiast, there’s good news for you — they host Bengali plays, albeit not quite often {say two productions a month}. During winter, plays are staged more frequently. Keep an eye on their schedule here.

The building also houses an art gallery, plus an amphitheater is in the works.

Shutterbugs, if you can’t get enough of the North Kolkata aesthetic, you’ll love the location of Star Theatre — a palatial theatre near the crossroads of Grey Street {Aurobindo Sarani} and Cornwallis Street {Bidhan Sarani} replete with tram lines and the quintessential heritage Kolkata ambience.

Like any good cinema hall, Star has a retinue of food joints — you can get Bengali cuisine at Bhojohori Manna, ice creams at the Kwality Walls kiosk, Chinese at Wok King and even a joint serving everyone’s favourite snack — momos.

Don’t worry about parking — Star Theatre has an underground car park with a nominal parking fee of INR 10 per hour {for a minimum of three hours}.