Eros Cinema Mumbai is Now Eros INOX IMAX

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Eros Cinema Mumbai is one of the most loved single screen theatres in Mumbai. Personally, I have many memories of watching movies here in the 1990s and 2000s era. From watching Hritik Roshan making his debut on the big screen in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai in 2000 to being spooked watching Raaz in 2002, I had a great time. I have memories of watching Satya, Mughal-e-Azam (Coloured Version), 99, The Da Vinci Code, and Rang De Basanti as well.

Also, how can I forget that while watching Lagaan (2001), the crowd inside the Eros Cinema Mumbai all cheered for Kachra and Bhuvan as they beat Captain Russell and his team at their own game. We all knew who would win but the crowd went ballistic at every run as if it was a live cricket match. The energy in that movie hall was electrifying.

For the past 86 years Eros Cinema Mumbai has been entertaining the city’s audience with some of the best Hollywood and Indian movies. I already covered Eros theatre briefly in my earlier post on 22 Old Theatres in Mumbai. Back then, the theatre was defunct draped in green construction cloth. However, in this one, we will focus entirely on Eros Cinema Churchgate and its transformation into the new INOX IMAX theatre.

History of Eros Cinema Mumbai

To understand the revival and transformation of Eros Cinema Mumbai it is essential to know its history. The decade of the 1930s was quite evolutionary for Bombay (now Mumbai). Various theatres mushroomed all over the city, especially in South Bombay. Eros Cinema was opened to the public on February 10, 1938. It was a Thursday.

The theatre was commissioned by a Parsi businessman Shiavax Cawasji Cambata in 1935 who laid the foundation the same year. The theatre is located in Cambata Building which sports an Art Deco style. Eventually, Eros Cinema went on to become one of the best single screen theatres in Mumbai until 2017.

In April 2017, Ashwini Joshi, a City Collector, known for her high-handedness decided to seal the Cambata Building with regards to the Cambata Aviation – Eros Building dispute. Since the theatre is housed within the building premises, Eros Cinema Mumbai, too was shut down.

The SC Cambata Trust challenged the show-caused notice in the Bombay High Court. Questioning and slamming the State’s action, the Bombay High Court decided to remove the seal.

However, by this time SC Cambata Trust was already in negotiations with various cinema businesses to revive the old theatre in Mumbai without compromising the heritage structure.

Exteriors of the Eros Cinema Mumbai

Almost a century ago, the Art Deco movement was quite popular in Western Europe and North America. The architecture style further splits into three categories namely Classic, Moderne and Streamline Moderne. Eros Cinema Mumbai takes inspiration from Streamline Moderne-style buildings across the globe. The architect Shorabji Bhedwar stylishly blends the idea of a cruise ship docking into a port within the architecture of this Art Deco building.

As one walks out of the Churchgate Station, Eros Theatre makes its presence felt with its cream and red Agra sandstone combination. Thankfully, architect Hafeez Contractor and his team along with conservation architect Kirtida Unwalla who was also a heritage consultant for the project have retained the original appearance of this iconic old theatre in Mumbai.

Interiors of the Eros Cinema Mumbai

From the outside, the newly renovated Eros INOX IMAX looks identical to the older one. However, the difference seems to disappear the closer you get and step into it.

Speaking to Architectural Digest, Unwalla said that they had in mind the task of letting movie lovers explore the new space in a more modern setting. However, also retains the design elements integral to the original architecture.

The moment one steps into the theatre and passes the security checks one can see the circular grand foyer. This has been a key part of the old structure as well. Patrons of Eros Cinema Mumbai would immediately connect with it.

The interiors also have an identical black and white marble floor which contrasts with the sunroof above. The colour palette throughout the interiors has a combination of white, black, gold, beige and brown.

The integration of two giant digital screens into the circular walls showcased snippets of some of the greatest Indian and Hollywood movies, actors and directors.

The stairs designed in black and white marble with wooden handrails sit right next to the digital screens. If you want to avoid the stairs you can take the iconic octagonal elevators. While these elevators reflect the older days of the Eros Cinema Churchgate they are now upgraded with automatic shutters and all sorts of new-age mechanical wizardry.

The internal rings which are the extended part of the sunroof on the ground floor get a champagne-colour treatment along with the skyline of Mumbai.

The entrance on the second floor of the building isn’t exactly colossal. However, the play between lights and mirrors tricks you into thinking otherwise. Once again the geometric black and white marble floors make their presence felt.

The food and drink counter is right up front. The toilets and the entrance to the movie hall are on the left side of the food counter. However, the designers have nicely divided the space between the toilet entrance and the entrance to the movie hall.

Speaking of toilets, the black and white marble theme is more evident here.

However, everything changes the moment you step into the movie hall.

The 305-seater IMAX theatre is furnished with futuristic interiors that elevate the overall movie-going experience. On the side walls, one can see large relief sculptures that reflect its vintage presence.

The geometric-design ceiling incorporates blue lights that flank the side walls as well. One can see IMAX light fixture integrated into the ceiling near the projection space.

Our First Experience at Eros INOX IMAX

The newly renovated Eros INOX IMAX opened with Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter this year. However, I decided to wait for something worth the IMAX experience. George Miller’s Furiosa was our choice for the movie. We purposely decided to not buy tickets online.

On entering the security staff welcomed us politely. This is never the case when you visit any single screen theatres in Mumbai. Of course, you will find a security person but there is no scanning or frisking.

One of the elements missing from the older version is the iconic ticket booking windows. Most single screen theatres in Mumbai do not have an online presence. Hence, you will need to purchase tickets offline at the booking window. This is one of the differences between single screen and multiplex theatres in Mumbai.

The newly renovated Eros INOX IMAX now does not have those booking windows. However, it still retains the iconic pillars now in beige colour. The large black and white marble floor immediately captures the attention on arrival. However, it is hard not to look up to the sunroof after completing the security check. The wooden panels integrated into the sunroof enhance its looks and appear like striking sunbeams.

While I was searching for the ticket window on the ground floor the staff informed us that we would need to take the elevator and head to the second floor to purchase movie tickets.

The elevator seemed like an element stuck in the wrong era. It was fantastically antique and modern at the same time. The ride up to the second floor was butter-smooth.

The moment we exited the elevator the entrance was on our right. The ticket-checking staff greeted us. We informed them that we haven’t bought the tickets online which is quite a norm these days in multiplexes. They directed us to the ticket purchasing counter which also doubles as a food counter and we bought them conveniently.

The food and beverage prices here are on par with any other INOX PVR theatres in Mumbai. We decided to eat out before the movie. Hence, we didn’t buy anything from the food and beverages counter.

The movie-watching experience was as good as it can be. The cinema incorporates IMAX with a 4K Laser Projection System coupled with a multi-channel sound system for an immersive experience.

This makes Eros Cinema Mumbai the first standalone single-screen IMAX with Laser theatre in Mumbai.

Also, it has become the first IMAX cinema hall in the world inside a 90-year-old heritage building.

Conclusion

In an era where most single screen theatres in Mumbai are closing down, the revamping of Eros Cinema Mumbai into Eros INOX IMAX is a good sign. These spaces of entertainment have remained an integral part of the city’s culture and their closure often sparks the question as to how investors can find the right balance between commerce and art.

The transformation of various old theatres in Mumbai like New Excelsior, Metro INOX and Eros INOX IMAX hints that all is not lost. Of course, heritage purists would be analytical of any changes made. However, I would argue that rather than being rigid we need to be flexible to solutions. This would open the doors of these iconic theatres to the next generation and provide them with relevant movie-watching experiences in many more decades to come.

For me, the transformation of Eros Cinema Mumbai into Eros INOX IMAX is a welcome change.