"Theatre Is A Mirror,
A Sharp Reflection Of Society"
~Yasmina Reza
A lot of single-screen cinemas in Delhi are losing out on their heritage tag because all of them have gone for a makeover to survive the onslaught of multiplexes. Delhi saw a decline in single screens in 1997 with the arrival of PVR Priya. Many were still operational, but they kept losing the audience to the modern multiplexes and eventually had to resort to showing B-grade films to survive.
Moti was one of the oldest halls in Delhi, it was a place for Bhojpuri movie lovers. In 2013 due to lower footfall, it was completely shut down, and now what remains are its ruins. Similar is the plight of Golcha Cinema. It is shut for more than 6 years now and the last film screened here was Kahaani 2. Rajinder Kumar has worked here for more than 50 years now. He started his career as a carpet cleaner of the hall and now looks after the abandoned hall.
Regal, established in 1932 premiered the classic ‘Gone with the wind’. It shut down in 2017 after screening Mera Naam Joker and Sangam. The owner has plans to convert it into multiplex for which renovation work has already begun.
Another legendary theatre Sheila also failed to keep up with the modern times. Established in 1961, it was India’s first 70mm screen. Being close to the New Delhi railway station ensured it always had an audience but then the lockdown of 2020 changed everything. The present caretaker who’s been working for 2 years says the owner has no plans of reopening it.
Maybe with OTT and PVR, the experience of watching a movie has changed and is much easier, but the essence of cheering with the entry of a hero/heroine and standing in the long queue to get a ticket will still grip the people of the golden and the millennial era.
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