State’s first local body-built theatre comes up in Pathanamthitta panchayat; residents no longer have to travel 40 kms

In Seethathodu, a quiet panchayat tucked close to the forests of Pathanamthitta, cinema has long been something that existed at a distance. For years, watching a film meant planning a 40-kilometre journey to Ranni, Konni or Pathanamthitta town. For many residents, especially families and the elderly, that distance quietly turned cinema from a weekly outing into a rare luxury. Now, that distance is finally closing.

For the first time in Kerala, a panchayat itself is building and owning a cinema theatre, and for the people of Seethathodu, it feels less like a development project and more like the fulfilment of a decades-old longing.

“It’s a dream come true for the residents here,” says panchayat vice president Joby T Easow. He points out that Seethathodu’s geography has always shaped its access to amenities. Surrounded by forests and located far from major towns, the panchayat rarely attracted private investors willing to set up large facilities.“This is a village close to the forests, and the nearest theatres are almost 40 kilometres away. For us, a theatre isn’t just an amenity, it is an emotion,” he says.

But the project is not driven by emotion alone. The theatre is also a key component of a broader tourism vision for the region. Backed by MLA K U Jenish Kumar, the panchayat has been working on a tourism masterplan that connects nearby destinations such as Konni’s Aanakoodu, Adavi, Aluvamkudi temple and Gavi. The idea is simple: tourists visiting these eco and pilgrimage spots can return to Seethathodu and spend time there, using the new amenities that the panchayat is building, including the shopping complex and the theatre.

The theatre has been set up inside the newly constructed Seethathodu Gavi Shopping Mall, a multi-purpose complex positioned at the heart of the panchayat. The mall itself is envisioned as a hub of everyday life, housing the panchayat’s fish market, multiple commercial shops and even government offices such as a KSFE branch. For residents who have long had to travel out for both entertainment and services, the complex promises to bring multiple needs under one roof.

At the centre of it all is the theatre, equipped with features that rival urban multiplexes. It boasts a 4K laser projector, making it only the seventh theatre in the state with such a system, along with an Atmos sound setup and 143 pushback seats designed for comfort. For a small panchayat that once had no functioning cinema hall, the technological leap is striking.

The construction of the theatre alone cost around ₹6 crore, funded through the panchayat’s plan fund along with the development fund of MLA K U Jenish Kumar. The larger shopping complex-cum-theatre project has a total cost of ₹16.93 crore. Built by the Kerala State Housing Board, the project took nearly five years to complete, reflecting both the scale of the ambition and the logistical challenges of building such infrastructure in a semi-rural, forest-fringe region.

“This is the first theatre in the state to come up under the leadership of a panchayat, and also the first government-owned theatre in Pathanamthitta district,” says Joby T Easow. He adds that no other theatre in the district currently features a 4K laser projection system. “We wanted to bring in the latest technology. If we were doing this, we wanted to do it properly,” he says.

For older residents, the new theatre also carries echoes of a past that faded away. Former panchayat vice president G Nandakumar recalls that Seethathodu once had a modest cinema hall called Priya Theatre. “It was a small theatre made out of sheets. It started functioning in 1985, but attendance was low and eventually it stopped operating,” he says. Since then, for more than two decades, the panchayat has lived without a local theatre, even as cinema continued to remain central to Kerala’s cultural life.

After all those years without a theatre, this moment feels deeply personal for the people here. The upcoming inauguration on the 28th, to be attended by Minister MB Rajesh and actor Bhavana, is expected to draw residents from across the panchayat. Local leaders say the event will be less of a formal ceremony and more of a collective celebration.

More theatre projects are already being discussed, Joby T Easow hints, suggesting that this may not remain a one-off experiment. For now, though, the focus remains on the first screening, the first show, and the first time residents will be able to walk to a theatre in their own panchayat.