Eros Cinema opens its doors again after 7 years, 90-year-old heritage landmark transforms into 305-seater IMAX theatre

Days before its reopening, The Indian Express visited the refurbished single-screen theatre.(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Days before its reopening, The Indian Express visited the refurbished single-screen theatre. Upon entering the grand lobby, the original layout and Art Deco aesthetics were apparent. Much of the design has been preserved, including the circular lobby adorned with Italian black and white marbles complemented by golden streaks. The two hexagonal lifts on either side and the famous staircases leading upstairs remain. However, instead of boxes and balconies, they now lead to retail spaces on the first floor, awaiting occupancy.

The 1200-seater single-screen theatre has shifted to the second floor as a 305-seater IMAX theatre operated by PVR Inox. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

“Earlier, you would enter directly to the cinema hall which was enclosed by two wings of residential blocks. Now, the theatre has been moved to the second floor. Still, everything else is the same — you enter through the same foyer, the entire layout of lifts and magnificent staircases are the same,” said conservation architect Kirtida Unwalla.

The biggest challenge, said Unwalla, “was adjusting the spatial layout in a way that it still tells the same story” to cinephiles coming to this theatre for years. Interestingly, the minute we reached the second floor, we were drawn to the distinctive Varese regular-like font used for various signages — from popcorn to the washroom, all the signs drew inspiration from the original Eros signage.

Unwalla, 68, who has also been going to Eros Cinema with her family to watch films since she was 14, emphasised the structure’s unique typology, housing retail stores, a cinema hall, and residential spaces together.

Much of the design has been preserved, including the circular lobby adorned with Italian black and white marbles complemented by golden streaks. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Commissioned by Parsi businessman Shiavax Cawasji Cambata in 1935 and designed by architect Sohrabji Bhedwar, Eros Cinema — named after the Greek god of love and desire — was opened to the public on February 10, 1938. It was described in Bombay Deco as the epitome of design, style and finish at the time.

Eros Cinemas, situated in a V-shaped Cambata building right across the Churchgate railway station, closed its doors in April 2017. Regarding the structure’s condition at that time, Unwalla, who began restoration in 2019, noted that while the outer walls were in good shape, the roof was falling apart, and the flooring was damaged.

While the iconic Art Deco facade, which also serves as a landmark, continues to boast of red Agra sandstone, cream paint— all infused with new life.(Express photo by Sankahdeep Banerjee)

“We did the restoration work keeping in mind the ethos; the flooring still boasts Italian marble in the same colour scheme,” she said, adding that relief panels stood out for her. Eros featured a series of sculpted bas-relief panels in a striking colour palette of silver and blue, running along the wall of its theatre, depicting various stages of film production.

“We restored them, and they went back inside the cinema hall with some of the vertical panels used on the columns in the foyer,” she said.

The building, which originally belonged to the Cambata family, has been leased to Metro Realty for 30 years. (Express photo by Sankahdeep Banerjee)

Unwalla finished her work a couple of months ago and shared that while Covid caused a lot of delays, they spent about two years in the restoration work. The most gratifying part is getting the single-screen cinema back into the city, she said.

Alongside Unwalla, Hafeez Contractor and Talati & Partners were also involved in constructing and designing the space and its interiors.

The building, which originally belonged to the Cambata family, has been leased to Metro Realty for 30 years, who in turn have leased the cinema hall to PVR INOR.

Akshat Gupta, managing partner at Metro Realty, emphasised on the meticulous approach taken due to the building’s heritage status. “This is a work of art and art takes time. Eros has been in everyone’s hearts, and it’s a very charming building. We wanted to do it meticulously, maintaining its red carpet history and Art Deco elements. From elevators to staircases to the railing, everything has been thought through… It was like we were wearing the Eros cap through every single communication.”

The biggest challenge, said Unwalla, “was adjusting the spatial layout in a way that it still tells the same story” to cinephiles coming to this theatre for years. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

“Bringing new age technology and yet retaining the old world charm was a very thought through project, and which is why Unwalla was keen on it. Every single design element was painstaking, but we’re very proud to be able to bring back these buildings in their glory and yet make them commercially viable,” Gupta added.