BENGALURU: Rex Cinemas, one of the last few remaining single-screen theatres in the city, bid adieu to its fans for one last time at 10 pm on Monday with the screening of Yash-starrer KGF.The theatre screened Simmba featuring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan and KGF on the last day.For the staff of this iconic theatre, Monday was a “special day” with many patrons taking selfies and pictures with them and
of the theatre.The 80-year-old theatre will soon be replaced by a shopping mall with a multiplex.

Anil Kapur, joint managing director, Kapur Investments Pvt Ltd, which owns Rex, said the theatre received good response from the audience on its last day. In spite of police issuing orders of no vehicles running or parking on Brigade Road, the theatre was packed with movie-goers. “The parking area was full of people. Many wanted to catch a show on the last day of the theatre. All the shows today, starting from
11 am, were housefull. They clicked pictures with us. There was a man from Australia ... senior citizens were present too. They were excited about the day. It was a special moment for our family and staff,” he said.

He added that the theatre set a record of collections in the last two months. “The films were also good. Rex had its highest grossing collection in the last two months,” he said. The shows in the last few weeks were being charged `200- `250 a ticket. “The rates were fixed depending on the movie ... not because it was the last few days of the theatre,” he added.

BM Nagaraj, theatre manager, said many filmmakers also visited the theatre to record videos for
their documentaries, showing its rich legacy. “Many people with old memories visited the theatre and shared their feelings. Almost all shows of KGF and 2.0 were housefull. We had a show for 2.0 at 5.30 am. Shah Rukh Khan- starrer Zero did not do well,” he said and added that the theatre closed at 12.30 am post screening of KGF.

The theatre started in the 1930s and a public auction was held in 1962 and Nandlal Kapur, Anil’s great grandfather, got the place for `8 lakh. The first film they screened after taking over was Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. It used to  screen only  English films earlier. After the other single screens such as Galaxy and Plaza shut, the theatre started showing films of other languages as well. In the 1980s, a ticket cost `2.35 for a regular seat, `1.50 for front stall and`5 for the balcony.

Last day, last show

8.15 am - Simmba
11 am - KGF (Kannada)
1.45 pm - Simmba
4.30 pm - Simmba
7.15 pm - KGF (Kannada)
10 pm - KGF (Kannada)