The era of one-screen theatres has officially come to an end with Delhi’s iconic Regal Theatre shutting doors on 31st March 2017. This pre-Independence theatre was renowned for it’s elite patronage, European décor, premier services and was once Raj Kapoor’s most beloved theatre. It was Raj Kapoor’s first choice for the screening of his films, THE theatre for glamorous premiers, both Bollywood and Hollywood, Regal hosted the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Amitabh Bachchan. Now it’s just another cinema hall shutting down and a whole lot of nostalgic memories flooding Delhiites hearts.
Once an icon of cinema, it was designed by Walter Skyes George, the British architect who also designed St.Stephens College. Opened in 1932, Regal has survived 84 glorious years and is showcasing Mera Naam Joker and Sangam on it’s last day, i.e, Thursday, 30th March. Booked in advance, the theatre was houseful with people flocking to pay homage to this eight decades old theatre.
While everyone is feeling the loss of this iconic place, one of the owners of Regal Theatre, Vishal Chaudhary is in high spirits for a comeback, “With time everything changes and it’s high time for Regal to close down and open up again in a new avatar. It’ll take some time. To make something good, it takes time and I think in 1-1.5 year we should be opening up!”, he shared with News18. The grandeur and aura of this cinema may have mellowed over time but the attachment remained.
The poor structure and dying ambience finally took its toll and despite the nostalgia it became evident that a revamp was in order. The collapse of roofs in CP earlier this year, was the final straw for this dying business and the management declared they were not willing to take the risk, putting up notices to shut down doors. Aman Singh Verma, the oldest employee in the building shared with Times Of India “The structural engineer has stated that as our building is very old, its inspection will require a long period and we shall not be in a position to carry out business activity as it is likely to endanger the life and property of employees and visitors.”
While the luxe once experienced at Regal in the old times will never be felt again, we hope Regal 2.0 outdoes its predecessor and wins over the capital with its own charm & flair. However, as we wait for it, we bid adieu to the heart warming feeling of watching a movie in a single screen theatre, box seats et al.
As the last show airs and the curtains come down, we at DSSC HQ with heavy hearts agree, it’s an era gone by but Regal will always be cherished with nostalgic memories and wide smiles.
Featured Image Courtesy: FreeJournal.in