Under The Stars: Drive-In Theatre

Every time I hear “Under the Stars”, it gives a calming feeling. It reminds me of the summers from my childhood, sleeping on the terrace, right under the beautiful star-laden sky were the best times.

The phrase also reminds me of the open cinema or drive-in theatre. A drive-in theatre is a form of open cinema theatre which has a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, and a parking area for automobiles right in front of the screen. Within this enclosed area, people can view films from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Each car has an individual speaker stand near it for better hearing purposes.

I spent most of my childhood and teen years in Ahmedabad. I remember watching almost every movie at the Sunset Drive-In Cinema, Ahmedabad in the earlier years. It used to be a mini picnic for our family. Mom would cook a special dinner which we would have around the movie interval, and dad would pack floor mats and chairs in case we wanted to sit outside the car. No fans were needed as a cool breeze in the city areas during the summers wasn’t a myth back then.

Whenever we had guests over, a visit to the Drive-In was a must along with other tourist places, and everyone would simply fall in love with the experience. Also, the ticket prices to date are as cheap as INR 60 per person!

However, with the advent of air-conditioned theatres and the modern culture, a gem like this is getting ignored these days. Given a chance, I would still watch every movie at the open theatre and continue to fill my treasure of memories from there.

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