NEW DELHI — From Bollywood superstars to political heavyweights, the Regal
But with nostalgic
"It's the end of an era. It's very sad," said Nanak, who had worked at the
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
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 movies at the
Around 600 movie buffs cheered the 1964 Bollywood classic at the final screening. Some young movie lovers came with their parents and grandparents, and many were singing the film's songs as they left the
"There was nostalgia," said Sudhir Dutta, 75, recalling that he had seen "A Tale of Two Cities" in 1958 in his first visit to the Regal.
India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his daughter, Indira Gandhi, also used to watch movies there, said Bhoop Singh, a
The Regal opened in 1932, built by Sobha Singh, an Indian civil contractor and real estate owner. At first, the
Finally, movies were shown. The 1931 Bollywood film "Alam Ara," the first Indian movie with sound, was the first Hindi movie screened at the Regal.
The
A decision to close the
Building a multiplex is a better option than renovating such an old building, Bhoop Singh said, adding, "We may resume screening movies in the multiplex within two years."
Ashok Sharma, The Associated Press