The cinema lovers across and beyond Chennai have braced up a shock after learning about the development where the Greater Chennai Corporation has sealed the Albert Theatre complex, which is a popular screen in the city, that attracted all walks of life in its three decades of operation. 

According to reports, the management has kept the tax dues for the corporation pending for years following which the corporation has sealed the premises on Thursday -March 31. The civic body has erected a banner at the entrance of the theatre in which it has said, "As the owner/user of the building has failed to pay the property tax payable to the Chennai Corporation, japti action has been initiated as per the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919." 

The development was going viral and it has been reported that the theatre has owed property taxes of Rs 51.27 lakh and Rs 14 lakh as entertainment tax. The news that the Albert Theatre was sealed had spread rampantly and hours after it was sealed, the theatre management has cleared the pending taxes after which the theatre was again opened, which has brought relief to the cinema lovers. 

The theatre complex that sits on Egmore has two screens - Albert and Baby Albert. The theatre was established in 1984 and in its initial days, the theatre has screened only Hindi movies. Aaj Ki Awaaz and Kaamchor were the first two movies screened at the theatre. It was started with a capacity to accommodate 1,200 people. As years ran, the Albert theatre complex had screened the movies of Tamil stars including that of Superstar Rajinikanth. It has successfully become an inevitable theatre in Chennai.