Basusree Cinema, Kolkata
| Basusree Cinema | |
|---|---|
Facade of Basusree Cinema in 2025 | |
Location in Kolkata | |
| General information | |
| Status | Active |
| Type | Cinema hall |
| Location | 102, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road, Kalighat, Kolkata, India |
| Coordinates | 22°31′22″N 88°20′47″E / 22.5228°N 88.3464°E |
| Opened | 19 December 1947 |
| Inaugurated | 19 December 1947 |
| Website | |
| basusreecinema | |
Basusree Cinema is a single screen cinema hall located on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, near Jatin Das Park metro station in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.[1][2][3][4] The cinema hall was inaugurated on 19 December 1947 by Satyabhushan Basu and is regarded as one of the city’s heritage theatres.[5][6][7] The hall hosted the premiere of Satyajit Ray’s debut film Pather Panchali on 26 August 1955, which was attended by several prominent personalities, including the then Chief Minister, Bidhan Chandra Roy.[8][9]
History and legacy
Since its inauguration on 19 December 1947 by Satyabhushan Basu, Basusree Cinema has been one of Kolkata’s notable single-screen theatres.[6][10] It opened with M. S. Subbulakshmi’s Meera. It later hosted the premiere of Satyajit Ray’s debut film, Pather Panchali in 1955, along with other Bengali films such as Aparajito, Sonar Kella, and Ritwik Ghatak’s Ajantrik.[5][11] The theatre also screened notable Hindi films such as Mughal-e-Azam, Johny Mera Naam, Deewar etc.[3]
Over the years, It also hosted cultural and musical programmes featuring artists like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Alla Rakha, Vilayat Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Hemanta Mukherjee.[5][12][13][14]
In February 2025, Wim Wenders visited Basusree Cinema to attend a retrospective of his films, which was part of the King of the Road: India Tour organised by the Film Heritage Foundation.[15][16][17]
References
- ^ "Did you know Basusree owns an unmatched cine treasure?". The Times of India. 1 February 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Basusree Cinema Online Movie Ticket Booking, Showtimes, Theatres in Kolkata". basusreecinema.com. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Bilingual E-archive Digital Platform for Bengal's Cinema". Bengal Film Archive. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "At 69, Basusree takes French route to bring back golden days". The Times of India. 25 September 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "Platinum Basusree nears curtain call. Can't run biz on nostalgia, says owner". The Times of India. 21 August 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Surviving the test of time". The Statesman. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Unity of 1,000 for 'Pathaan'". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Yesterdate: This day from Kolkata's past, August 26, 1955". Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "'Pather Panchali', marking a new genre in Indian cinema, was released 79 years ago". The Tribune. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ Bhuyan, Avantika (30 March 2021). "Archiving the nostalgia of Kolkata's single-screen theatres". Live Mint. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "সম্পাদক সমীপেষু: বাঁচাতে হবে বসুশ্রী" (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "AN EAR FOR MUSIC". I Am Kolkata | Your Ultimate Guide to the City. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Not just a theatre, but a way of life". Get Bengal. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ https://www.anandabazar.com/rabibashoriyo/story-of-cinema-hall-1.479805
- ^ Som, Moyurie (18 February 2025). "'Understatement to say I am overwhelmed,' says German filmmaker Wim Wenders on Kolkata visit". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Wim Wenders – King of the Road – The India Tour - Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan | India". www.goethe.de. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Wim Wenders embarks on his maiden King Of The Road – The India Tour". The New Indian Express. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.