15 33 e 13.056355 n 80.259151 e 13.056355 ; 80.259151 spi cinemas type private industry entertainment founded april 1974 1974 04 headquarters royapettah chennai india number of locations 8 area served india key people kiran reddy md tan ngaronga coo parent spi group private ltd. website spicinemas.in spi cinemas is an indian multiplex chain and film production company owned by the spi group headquartered in chennai . it operates multiplexes in tamil nadu and andhra pradesh . originally named sathyam cinemas after its first multiplex the company was later renamed spi cinemas as it introduced several other multiplexes . spi is often lauded for its premium quality and inexpensive pricing . 1 2 its theatres primarily sathyam cinemas are often used by filmmakers for film premieres and audio launch events . 3 popcorn served at spi cinemas has received considerable praise from filmgoers and the media . 4 spi is notable for being the first multiplex operator in india to equip its screens with the dolby atmos and auro 11.1 sound systems . 5 6 spi also introduced the first imax screens in chennai with its luxe cinemas and palazzo cinemas brands . 7 contents 1 history 2 future 3 locations 4 references 5 external links history edit sathyam cinemas was originally named the royal theatre complex and was built by raja from venkatagiri in april 1974 . 8 9 with a capacity of 1 255 seats it was the largest multiplex built in chennai at the time . 10 kiran reddy the current ceo of spi group revealed in a 2012 interview with the hindu that sathyam cinemas was acquired by his family from someone in the 1980s . it was acquired for real estate purposes with no intention of continuing the theatre business . he claimed the intent was to demolish the sathyam building . the theatre wasn t a viable business if you looked at the value of the land . however when he got involved in the business the family had made several improvements to the theatre . 11 reddy had taken over the business in 1999 and continued developing the theatre adding three more screens and refurbishing the existing three . 12 in 2009 sathyam cinemas established itself as a film production company producing its first film thiru thiru thuru thuru . 13 in january 2015 pvr cinemas was revealed to be in talks to acquire all the screens under the spi cinemas brand . however the deal fell through due to the widespread sentimental and negative reactions received from filmgoers . 14 15 luxe cinemas which was opened in april 2014 was sold to jazz cinemas in october 2015 . 16 future edit in september 2015 spi revealed that a five screen multiplex was under construction in bangalore . 17 spi also revealed further plans of expansions in several states including maharashtra andhra pradesh telangana kerala and pondicherry . 18 locations edit state territory city theater name theater locality number of screens tamil nadu chennai sathyam cinemas royapettah 15 escape cinemas 19 express avenue royapettah 8 s2 perambur spectrum mall perambur 5 s2 theyagaraja old theyagaraja talkies thiruvanmiyur 2 palazzo cinemas the forum vijaya vadapalani 9 including one imax coimbatore the cinema 20 brookefields mall krishnaswamy road 6 andhra pradesh nellore s2 nellore old raghava cineplex pogathota 3 karnataka bengaluru the cinema magadi road 5 maharashtra mumbai le reve 18 bandra 1 kerala thiruvananthapuram 18 chala 2 puducherry pondicherry 18 5 references edit chennai portal entertainment portal hollywood praise for sathyam cinemas . behindwoods . 31 october 2012 . naveena vijayan 15 april 2014 . luxe takes movie experience beyond the conventional . the new indian express . lata srinivasan 1 november 2012 . ang lee praises sathyam cinemas . the times of india . sudhir srinivasan 14 may 2015 . chennai s corny tradition . the hindu . aaron almeida 5 december 2012 . dolby launches its dolby atmos audio platform in india . firstpost . bill mead 25 november 2013 . technology in review asia embraces digital 3d and immersive sound . film journal international . karthik subramanian 29 march 2014 . multiplex gets nod at velachery phoenix mall . the hindu . n. ramakrishnan 27 december 2013 . chennai has a big role to play . business line . sathyam cinemas selects qube for all screens of its flagship multiplex at chennai india . business wire . 27 june 2007 . nitya menon 27 november 2013 . the changing scene . the hindu . shonali muthalaly 23 february 2012 . reddy made in chennai . the hindu . sreedhar pillai 15 december 2006 . and now the multiplex mania . the hindu . shalini shah 7 august 2009 . a first for sathyam . the hindu . movie goers upset over pvr s decision to acquire sathyam cinemas . the new indian express . 13 january 2015 . daniel thimmayya 13 january 2015 . chennai is still very fertile for us . the new indian express . udhav naig sangeetha kandavel 30 october 2015 . jazz cinemas buys luxe multiplex . the times of india . rajaneesh vilakudy 18 september 2015 . sathyam cinemas come to bengaluru . the times of india . a b c d sreedhar pillai 15 october 2016 . chennai s famous sathyam cinemas expands to mumbai pondicherry hyderabad . firstpost . prince frederick 18 june 2013 . let the show begin . the hindu . v. s. palaniappan 6 december 2011 . the cinema brookefields opens tomorrow . the hindu . external links edit official website v t e chennai history early history pre 1500 sangam period thomas the apostle pallava dynasty chola dynasty vijayanagar empire colonial period 1500 1900 s o tom de meliapore raja of chandragiri agency of fort st george 1721 madras cyclone carnatic wars madras adyar chingleput anglo mysore wars modern period 1900 present arbuthnot bank crash besant v. narayaniah bombardment of madras by sms emden de la haye scandal 1921 buckingham and carnatic mills strike neil statue satyagraha 1928 south indian railway strike 1932 madras and southern mahratta railway strike 1943 chennai floods madras manade anti hindi agitations assassination of rajiv gandhi r. s. s. chennai bombing 2004 indian ocean earthquake 2013 anti sri lanka protests 2015 south indian floods writers and historians s. muthiah randor guy s. theodore baskaran v. sriram a. r. venkatachalapathy geography and wildlife regions chennai metropolitan area central chennai north chennai south chennai rivers and waterways adyar river buckingham canal coovum river kosasthalaiyar river otteri nullah lakes chembarambakkam lake chetput lake long tank manali lake porur lake red hills lake retteri veeranam islands kattupalli island quibble island the island zoological parks arignar anna zoological park chennai snake park guindy national park madras crocodile bank reserve forests nanmangalam reserve forest vandalur reserve forest marshlands ennore creek pallikaranai wetland heritage monuments amir mahal bharat insurance building brodie castle chennai central prison chepauk palace lic building lighthouse police headquarters port trust building puzhal central prison ripon building royapuram railway station university of madras senate house southern railway headquarters valluvar kottam victoria public hall statues marina beach statues thomas munro triumph of labour memorials gandhi mandapam kamarajar mandapam rajaji mandapam rajiv gandhi memorial madras war cemetery victory war memorial vivekanandar illam administration and politics districts chennai district tiruvallur district kanchipuram district taluks chennai district aminjikarai ayanavaram egmore guindy mambalam mylapore perambur purasaiwalkam tondiarpet velachery tiruvallur district tiruvottiyur madhavaram ambattur avadi maduravoyal ponneri part poonamallee part tiruvallur part kanchipuram district alandur sholinganallur pallavaram tambaram sriperumbudur part chengalpattu part parliamentary constituencies chennai central chennai north chennai south sriperumbudur thiruvallur assembly constituencies alandur ambattur anna nagar avadi chengalpattu chepauk egmore harbour kolathur madhavaram maduravoyal mylapore pallavaram perambur ponneri poonamallee rk nagar royapuram saidapet sholinganallur sriperumbudur t.nagar tambaram thiru . vi . ka . nagar thiruvottiyur thousand lights tiruvallur villivakkam virugambakkam velachery nodal agencies greater chennai corporation chennai metropolitan development authority chennai metrowater and sewage board chennai police commissionerate general post office greater chennai police madras high court tamil nadu electricity board tamil nadu fire and rescue services economy business districts burma bazaar kothawal chavadi koyambedu wholesale market complex panagal park parry s corner pondy bazaar purasawalkam ranganathan street ritchie street velachery washermanpet sez sez corridor mepz tidel park world trade center companies and institutions aavin ashok leyland basin bridge gas blue dart aviation chettinad group eid parry ennore thermal gmr vasavi heavy vehicles factory higginbotham s indian bank indian overseas bank integral coach factory madras atomic power station madras cements madras rubber factory madras stock exchange murugappa group north chennai thermal reserve bank of india royal enfield spic sun group the hindu the new indian express ti cycles of india tvs motors vallur thermal world bank office industry automotive electronics retail software culture and recreation general architecture of chennai kollywood madrassi madras bashai madras school tourism in chennai beaches covelong elliot s beach golden beach marina beach parks anna nagar tower park semmozhi poonga tholkappia poonga cinemas spi cinemas mayajaal multiplex periodic events chennai book fair chennai international film festival chennai sangamam lit for life madras day madras music season saarang techofes theme parks evp world mgm dizzee world queens land vgp universal kingdom dash n splash kishkinta mayajaal beach resort shopping malls abhirami mega mall alsa mall ampa skywalk chandra mall chennai citi centre chennai trade centre coromandel plaza express avenue gold souk grande mall phoenix market city ramee mall spectrum mall spencer plaza forum vijaya mall clubs gymkhana club madras boat club royal madras yacht club religion temples ayyappan temple ashtalakshmi kovil iskcon temple chennai kapaleeswarar temple kalikambal temple madhya kailash marundeeswarar temple parthasarathy temple ravishwarar varasiddhi vinayaka temple churches armenian church church of our lady of light st. andrew s kirk st. george s cathedral st. patrick s cathedral santhome basilica st. mary s church others mahabodhi centre thousand lights mosque transport air chennai international airport sea chennai port ennore port kattupalli shipyard royapuram fishing harbour rail chennai central chennai metro chennai mrts chennai suburban railway southern railway railway stations in chennai road roads and expressways anna salai cenotaph road chennai bypass chennai port maduravoyal expressway china bazaar road east coast road inner ring road nungambakkam high road outer ring road peters road poonamallee high road rajiv gandhi salai sardar patel road grade separators and flyovers anna flyover chennai airport flyover chrompet flyover irumbuliyur junction kathipara junction koyambedu junction madhavaram junction maduravoyal junction moolakadai junction padi junction others chennai mofussil bus terminus chennai contract carriage bus terminus metropolitan transport corporation state express transport corporation sport venues guindy race course jawaharlal nehru stadium m. a. chidambaram stadium madras motor race track mayor radhakrishnan stadium mrf pace foundation mudaliarkuppam boat house muttukadu boat house rajarathinam stadium sdat tennis stadium teams chennai cheetahs chennai spikers chennai super kings chennai superstars chennai veerans chennaiyin fc v chennai warriors others chennai open m. j. gopalan trophy madras presidency matches institutions education alliance fran aise de madras anna centenary library birla planetarium cholamandal artists village connemara public library dakshinachitra government museum kalakshetra km music conservatory madras music academy schools in chennai universities anna university university of madras dr mgr medical university dr ambedkar law university indian maritime university veterinary and animal sciences university vit university chennai srm university b s abdur rahman university tamil nadu open university vels university engineering colleges indian institute of technology madras college of engineering guindy madras institute of technology alagappa college of technology medical colleges madras medical college stanley medical college kilpauk medical college sri ramachandra medical college and research institute national institute of siddha arts and science colleges loyola madras christian college presidency college queen mary s women vivekananda pachaiyappa s college stella mary s women dg vaishnav mop vaishnav women research central leather research institute national institute of ocean technology institute of mathematical sciences chennai mathematical institute regional meteorological centre structural engineering research centre central institute of plastics engineering and technology india diplomatic missions american consulate british deputy high commission singapore consulate malaysian consulate russian consulate german consulate sri