National Anthem in a Cinema Theatre

This has to be one of my stranger experiences. At the movie hall, where we went to watch a Tamil movie tonight, they showed a slide that said, “Please stand up for our National Anthem”. The screen next showed a fluttering tricolour flag and the national anthem started playing.

Most of the people in the theatre started to stand. I looked around. There were a few who were still sitting but they too stood up. Eventually, everyone in the theatre were up on their feet.

I was quite impressed. Some of the folks even sang along. A man, in his 30s, who was in front of me stood ram-rod straight.

This is the first time in my life that I’m seeing national anthem being played in cinema theatres. I have heard that, during yesteryears, they would play the national anthem at the end of the movie. But because people started leaving the theatre, it was considered as disrespect and later discontinued.

Good to see it back and it was a good idea to play it at the beginning of the movie.

For me, It was a surreal experience. Great to see folks being patriotic.