It’s Curtains Up For The Royal Opera House!

front-page1The Royal Opera House – an integral structure of Bombay’s heritage, and endearing to numerous Parsis with fun memories held close to the hearts, will be brought back to life on October 20, 2016. The inauguration of this beautifully resuscitated splendor will mark and host the opening ceremony of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Enthusiasts of the Opera House will be thrilled to once again experience the key attraction of this iconic structure – the restored ‘boxes’ or small balconies on the sides, giving people the same theatre experience as it did 105 years ago when it opened its doors to the public in 1911.

The Royal Opera House soon became one of Bombay’s most sought-after cinema halls, hosting premieres of big-ticket releases in its prime. However, post the 80s, it started suffering losses and finally shut down in 1991. It has been undergoing restoration since 2010. The Opera House belongs to the Maharaja of Gondal, Jyotendra Sinhji Jadeja, who has been committed to restoring it, and reopening it as a performance theatre, along with the expertise of conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. As per the statement issued by the Gondal Maharaja said, “The Gondal family has always been a great patron of art, culture and education. Royal Opera House in this new avatar is our gift to the city of Mumbai.”

Inaugurated in 1911 by King George V, the building reflects the grandness of Baroque architecture. In fact, The Opera House, which is one of the last standing Baroque buildings in Mumbai, is known for its enduring connect with culture – art, literature, theatre, music – and has hosted various live performances by legendary artists including Prithviraj Kapoor, Bal Gandharva, Dinanath Mangeshkar and Lata Mangeshkar.

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