Opposite the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The 147-year-old Victorian Era building is classified as one the heritages, of Grade II structure. 


The Capitol Cinema is currently in the news following by the K. Raheja Group’s Retail Art which is slated for its launch of a strict heritage-compliant restoration program to repurpose the dilapidated building for retail, cinema and residential usages. 


The Key Historical Milestones. 


If we look back on the milestones of the key historical landmarks, it was established in 1879 and was constructed by Kunvarji Paghtivala and entrepreneurial Parsi Gentleman by the name of Nazir. The venue was originally opened on December 6th 1879 as a center for Performing arts, live playhouse called Tivoli. 


In the Late 1800, it was renamed as Gaiety Theatre and it served the sophisticated hub that staged only the high-profile English, Marathi, Gujarati plays for the colonial elites of those times. 


The Advent of The Capitol Theatre


In 1928 ,the Cinema Era began when it was acquired by the Global Theatres of Calcutta and the structure was outfitted with the large dome that was renamed to Capitol Theatre.  It was then it transitioned into a full-time cinema screening for Indian and Hollywood movies. 


Between 2011 and 2020, after decades of screening films, they under went economic strain on the single screen theatres that forced the historical venue into a permanent closure.


The Capitol Cinema – An Architectural and Design Profile. 


It was originally designed by John Campbell and the design was integrated cleverly by the Neo-Classical and Italian elements using local grey basalt for its exteriors giving it the composite look of the original.  The interior space was a sweeping horse show shaped balcony dedicated with boxes flanking the stage with an iconic 22-foot curtain that illustrated the early 20th century Bombay skyline. 


The current status and the restoration plans. 


The building has been neglected over decades and fell into the stage of structural decay . However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has renewed the property lease until April 2035.  


Under the new lease they plan to conserve the heritage with the guidelines enforced by the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. The developers are legally restricted from demolishing the building but under the current legal mandate, any commercial redevelopment coming up in the premises such as an art gallery or boutique for retail store shall preserve at least one third of the original theatre seating arrangement to safeguard its rich cultural heritage and legacy.