‘End of an era’: New Delhi’s iconic Regal cinema shuts down after 85 years to make way for a multiplex
A decision to shut the cinema was prompted by a craze for multi-screen cinemas in India
From Bollywood superstars to political heavyweights, the Regal cinema hosted some of India’s biggest names over more than eight decades.
But with nostalgic cinema-goers singing their way to the exits after a final showing of a Bollywood classic, the iconic New Delhi cinema has closed its doors to make way for a multiplex.
“It’s the end of an era. It’s very sad,” said Nanak, who had worked at the cinema since 1979. Nanak, whose grandfather and father were part of the Regal’s management team in the 1950s and ‘60s, uses one name.
With its corridors studded with black-and-white images of Bollywood stars such as Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, the magic of a bygone era was visible throughout the cinema.
For its final screening, the Regal showed Sangam, or Union of Two Hearts, on Thursday night in a tribute to producer-director Kapoor, Bollywood’s biggest showman, who premiered his films at the cinema from the 1950s to the ‘70s.
