Last day, last show: 85-year-old Regal Cinema downs its shutters today

After Friday's last show, Connaught Place's iconic Regal Cinema is all set to down its shutters for good. Opened in 1932 and fondly known as 'New Delhi's premier theatre', it issued an official notice which read: "It has been decided by the management to close down the business from the premises wef 31.3. 2017."

In its golden days, Regal Cinema used to showcase the best movies by the biggest banners while its competitors were playing old superhits. The theatre was a favourite of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his colleagues and was repeatedly graced by the showman Raj Kapoor. He was always there for the noon show, increasing the excitement of the first day, first show crowd manifold. Regal felt a strong loyalty towards Raj Kapoor and agreed to release Satyam Shivam Sundaram even when many other theatres were hesitant.

According to Conde Nast Traveller India, an employee of Regal Cinema, Zameer Baigh, said,

Raj Kumar would come in to watch movies with his family. They always sat in a box. And Raj Kapoor premiered his movies in Delhi only here.

New Delhi's other big theatres, the Plaza and Rivoli turned into PVRs a long time ago and Odeon also became a part of BIG Cinemas. Now, it is expected that Regal Cinema is also set to be turned into a multiplex.

Aman Singh Verma has been working as an accountant at the theatre since 1977. According to The Times Of India, he said,

It will be the end of an era. Both historic and memorable.

He is not alone in feeling this way.

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