Curtains for India's first mulltiplex: end of an era, and beginning of a new one

Twenty-two years ago, a small corner of south Delhi became the centre of the national capital's cinematic world -- and a pivot of its cultural life too -- with the opening of India's first multiplex.

The curtains came down on PVR Anupam, which changed the way Delhiites watched movies, on Thursday evening. It is the end of an era but also the beginning of one with PVR Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Bijli promising that it will be back, better and snazzier in about six months.

It was initially called Anupam 4' to make the message clear to cine-goers that they will now be able to watch four different films under one roof. More than brick and mortar, cinema halls are built of memories, unique to people just like their choice of films.

Virtually every film buff in the city has an Anupam story, of standing for hours in line to buy a ticket for the latest Hollywood or Bollywood film, of assignations with that maybe special somebody, of childhood birthdays or of noisy family movie ...