Chanakya redesign cleared,showtime still 3 years away

While the New Delhi Municipal Corporation has cleared the building plan for a new-look Chanakya cinema hall.

While the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has cleared the building plan for a new-look Chanakya cinema hall,there is still at least two to three years before a movie can be viewed there.

The layout plan of the hall,which was sent to the fire department two months ago,is yet to be cleared.

O P Mishra,Director (Projects),said the the project got delayed because two plans had to be factored.

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While the DLF,to whom the hall was given on lease,submitted a plan for the cinema hall, the NDMC initiated a plan for redevelopment of Yashwant Place.

We had to then match our redevelopment plan with that of the DLF. We told them to revise their layout plans and submit a fresh plan, said Mishra.

DLF officials said the project was delayed because certain criteria had to be met keeping in mind the revised National Building Code.

We were asked to lower the height of multiplex in adherence to the norms of National Building Code. Our designers then had to rework on the plan. The Airports Authority of India took two years to clear the plan after which it witnessed procedural delays, said a DLF official.

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The 1.69 acre complex,which will be converted into a multiplex,has been given to DLF on Build-Operate-Transfer basis. There will be a monthly fee to the NDMC with a hike of 15% after every three years.

NDMC officials said they screened 15 architects and their presentations on a design for the multiplex.

Chanakya Cinema opened on December 17,1971 with the premiere of Mera Naam Joker. The last show at the hall was Taare Zameen Par on December 27,2007.

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