Eros Cinema
Eros Cinema in Cambata Building in 2008
LocationMaharshi Karve Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai
OwnerEros Trust, Cambata Family
Capacity1204
Construction
Opened1938
Closed2016
ArchitectShorabji Bhedwar

The Eros Cinema is an Art Deco style, now defunct,[1] cinema theatre located in Cambata Building at Churchgate, Mumbai, India. It has a seating capacity of 1,204 people per show.[2]

Architects Shorabji Bhedwar designed the Streamline Moderne building, it marked the beginning of Back Bay reclamation in early 1938.[3]

History

The foundation of Eros Cinema was laid in 1935.[3] The cinema opened in 1938 and construction of this building on the then newly reclaimed Backbay plot housing shops and other businesses, apart from the cinema, took about two and a half years to complete.

Design

Partially faced with red Agra sandstone, this building is painted cream. The two wings of this Art Deco building meet up in a central block. The foyer is in white and black marble with touches of gold. Marble staircases with chromium handrails lead up to the upper floor. The murals are in muted colours depicting Indian architectures.


The Auditorium was decorated with cloud patterns on the walls, with the lower half decorated in black marble. The Proscenium arch had a large relief sculpture, and a pair of large columns with gold stripes flanking the stage.

Organ chambers were included in the design, but no pipe organ was confirmed to be installed.[4]

Importance

The building is part of The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, which was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 2018.

Current Status

The Eros Cinema has been defunct since 2016. The Cambata Building which houses the theatre was sealed by the City Collector due to legal disputes but was later unsealed on the order of Bombay High Court, but the screening at the theatre has not been resumed.[5]

However, the Cambata Family who owns the building has been in talks with other cinema businesses to revive the Eros Cinema with some renovation and changes to the building without harming the heritage structure.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Single screen theatres in Mumbai on a decline - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "Security tops India Inc.'s concerns after attacks". The Hindu. 3 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  3. 1 2 Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi (1995). Bombay: the cities within. India Book House. p. 335. ISBN 81-85028-80-X.Page 233
  4. ↑ "Eros cinema was designed with exquisite interiors to compliment [sic] its grand exterior. The cinema theatre, claimed to be the most up-to date cinema of its time, was designed to produce the best possible acoustic properties".
  5. 1 2 Deshpande, Tanvi (5 November 2018). "Eros may soon reopen its doors to cinemagoers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 October 2019.


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