Kolkata: Uttara owner keen to adopt old New Empire format

KOLKATA: Despite poor sale of tickets at New Empire, this iconic single screen theatre in Kolkata will never be remodelled. John

Mantosh

, the director of Humayun Properties Ltd that owns the building that houses

New Empire

and the properties where once stood Lighthouse, Tiger and

Uttara

cinemas, is now keen on reviving the old New Empire model that used to once host both film screenings and theatre performances. He has drawn up the plan to build a theatre for 150 viewers on the Uttara premises to host live performances. Along with that will be a shopping arcade, cafeteria and two cinema screens with car parking facilities.

The New Empire auditorium was built in 1927. Initially, it would host operas, ballets and plays. The likes of Yehudi Menuhin, Zubin Mehta, Uday Shankar, Amala Shankar, PC Sorcar Sr and theatre giants including Sombhu Mitra and

Tripti Mitra

performed there. Films were also screened here alongside theatre performances. This module was stopped in the 70s after

Warner Brothers

took it on lease in 1969. They renovated the theatre and screened only their movies till their lease ended in 1989.

New Empire is now one of the few standalone cinemas in central Kolkata with an approximate seating capacity of 600. “I think it will be the only iconic single screen theatre in central Kolkata that will remain untouched even in future. I like to see the façade and will never touch it,” Mantosh said.

He now wants to revive the 50s model of New Empire for developing Uttara, which currently runs as a market. Madan Company used to screen films in tents at Hatibagan before setting up Crown cinema. It was renamed as Uttara in 1935. “The old structure, which was semi-pucca, was completely gone by the late 60s. It returned as a proper cinema hall after that. It started running as a departmental store in the late 90s. I purchased it in 2004,” Mantosh said.

Work on developing Uttara can only begin once the issue over the property’s heritage status is resolved at a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) meeting. “While

West Bengal Heritage Commission

(WBHC) still enlists some buildings in Kolkata as heritage property without giving any gradation, Uttara is not there on our list,” said

WBHC

chairperson Shuvaprasanna. But Uttara’s address (138/2 Bidhan Sarani) is mentioned in the ‘heritage list grade pending’ section of the KMC portal. “Subject to KMC giving me permission, I will begin work on developing the property,” Mantosh added.

Hatibagan, he added, is “heavily neglected”. “Almost all the theatres in that stretch are gone. This place will greatly benefit if I get the permission to develop Uttara,” he said.


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