Watch any film you want at Bengaluru’s Suchitra Film Society now
Suchitra Academy of Cinema and Culture and Suchitra Film Society are at Banashankari in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash
Bengaluru’s Suchitra Film Society has launched a new initiative to support cinephiles, filmmaking students, journalists and art lovers. Everyone can watch the movie they want from the association’s rich repertoire of foreign and Indian films, on the association’s equipment and on the big screen.
This contributes to regular members-only film screenings and discussions in the community.
Speaking about the initiative, Vidyaranya BS, board member of the film society, said that this has been done to help movie buffs and cinephiles access international movies that are otherwise inaccessible.
Although they have not yet set a price for the screening, the association plans to charge a small fee once the screening is initiated.
HN Narahari Rao, president of the association, said: “We have a rich collection of rare films, both foreign and Indian, in our digital library and we want to make it available to everyone who wants to watch it.”
“Any person can approach the community to watch a movie, provided they inform us a day in advance which movie they want to watch. If a person wants to watch a movie alone for research or entertainment, he can do so using a laptop available in the society,” Rao said.
“If someone wants to watch the classics of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen or P. Sheshadri, we can do so through our rich digital library,” Rao added.
With a legacy spanning 55 years, Suchitra has long been a sought-after venue for films that fall outside normal distribution networks. Founded in 1971, the film society provides a platform for people to watch rare international and Indian films, discuss and celebrate cinema.
Suchitra Cinema and Culture Academy, a foundation formed by the film community, also runs a café to complement the cinema-watching experience. Playwright and directorAbhishek Iyengar, who is also the Academy’s treasurer, said the cafe, run by Vedic Chai, is aimed at movie lovers and has a specially prepared menu. The place offers a basic Karnataka-style menu, including coffee and tea.
“Just like people eat and discuss art at the cafe at Ranga Shankara, we want people to come to the community, watch movies, eat, discuss and celebrate cinema at Suchitra Cafe. We have around 6,000 international and national films in our digital archive, with a dedicated area to watch them. People should take advantage of this library facility,” Iyengar said.
It was published – 23 February 2026 12:08 IST
