K.B.S. Theatre, whose inauguration saw Karunanidhi, MGR, and Jayalalithaa come together in Kodumudi, razed after 56 years

At Kodumudi, a town in Erode district, where only touring talkies once brought movies to the public, well-known playback singer and actor K.B. Sundarambal, decided to raise a permanent theatre 56 years ago. For her, it was not just a building but a gesture of gratitude to cinema — the field that had given her identity and fame.

According to D. Sakthi Ganesh, Sundarambal, whom he refers to as his aunt, declined the idea of a school proposed in her honour by then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Instead, she chose to build a cinema hall, believing it would better reflect her journey in cinema.

“K.B.S. Theatre became the first and only theatre in Kodumudi, and it has remained so to this day. The nearest theatre even now is about 15 km away. In earlier years, people otherwise had to travel to Karur, 27 km away, or Erode, 40 km away, to watch films,” he said.

The theatre was inaugurated on October 28, 1969 in the presence of M. Karunanidhi, then Chief Minister, and actors M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa, both of whom later held the office of Chief Minister. Sundarambal accompanied them in an open jeep procession from her residence to the theatre, a moment recorded in family photographs. The event is remembered as a landmark in Kodumudi for bringing together three individuals who held the office of Chief Minister.

“The first film screened at the theatre was Thunaivan (1969), produced by Devar Films and starring A.V.M. Rajan and Sowcar Janaki, in which Sundarambal also played a role. A song she recorded for the film earned her the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. Among its later successes, Mundhanai Mudichu ran for 175 days, marking one of the longest runs at the hall,” he said.

After Sundarambal’s passing in 1980, the theatre came under the management of her relatives and continued to screen films for several decades. It remained in operation until the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. With no shows in the past five years, the building has now been pulled down.