It’s 'The End' for the Single Screen Cinemas of Delhi

With most of them shut down, the single screen theatres of Delhi are only left with their cinema history.

Some of the most well known single screens in Delhi have shut down.

(Photo Credit: Ribhu Chatterjee/The Quint)

A lot of single screen cinemas in Delhi are losing out on their heritage tag because all of them have opted for a makeover to survive the onslaught of multiplexes.

Shiela was the first 70mm theatre to be established in India.

Murali Rao, a barber, has been working outside Sheila for five years now.

Ticket counter of Sheila theatre.

Delhi saw a decline of single screens in 1997 with the arrival of PVR Priya. Many were still operational but they kept losing the audience to modern multiplexes and eventually had to resort to showing B-grade films to survive.

The empty seats of Moti.

Moti Cinema of old Delhi.

In the last few years, Moti was only screening B-grade films.

Moti was one of the oldest movie halls of Delhi, it was a place for Bhojpuri movie lovers. In 2013, due to low footfall, it was completely shut down and what remains now are its ruins.

Lalit Sharma, the current caretaker of Moti Cinema.

Ticket counter of Moti Cinema.

Similar is the plight of Golcha Cinema. It has been shut for more than six years now and the last film screened here was Kahaani 2.

Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj area of Delhi.

Rajinder Kumar has worked here for more than 50 years now. He started his career as a carpet cleaner of the hall and now looks after the abandoned hall.

The ticket counter of Golcha Cinema. 

The stage of the Shalimar Hall.

The balcony stairs of Shalimar Cinema.

Another legendary theatre, Sheila, also failed to keep up with the modern times. Established in 1961, it was India’s first 70mm screen. Being close to the New Delhi railway station ensured that it always had an audience but then the COVID-19 lockdown changed everything.

The present caretaker who’s been working for two years said that the owner has no plans of reopening it.

Bleached film strips in Shalimar Cinema

The entire Shalimar theatre was razed to the ground in a fire.

Regal, established in 1932, premiered the classic Gone With The Wind. It shut down in 2017 after screening Mera Naam Joker and Sangam. The owner has plans to convert it into a multiplex for which renovation work has already begun.

Regal was shut down in 2017 for renovation.

Regal under renovation.