How Miraj Cinemas reinvented Aakash Cinema, a 1989-dated single display theatre, as an Art Deco-inspired multiplex

When Aakash Cinema (Azadpur) opened its doorways to the cinemagoers of Delhi in 1989, the single-screen theatre with 1,000 seats witnessed a beeline of individuals ready to observe Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Shahenshah. For almost three many years, it entertained generations of film buffs, however its closure in 2016 was concomitant to a broader pattern of single-screen cinemas combating the multiplex increase and altering viewers habits. Today, because it stands renamed to Miraj Cinemas, Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment, sheds mild on what it took to transform this single-screen theatre to an Art Deco-inspired three-screen multiplex that balances the outdated with the brand new.

After Miraj Cinemas leased the property that was initially established by Ravinder Singh Anand (by way of his firm Middle East Estate Builders) and overhauled it, the venue is now formally often called Miraj Cinemas, Azadpur (on the Aakash Cinema Commercial Complex). “The concept behind revamping Aakash Cinema was to offer it a brand new lease of life whereas upgrading it with trendy facilities; a complete industrial complicated that includes a three-screen multiplex, meals court docket, retail retailers, and parking services. Miraj needed to mix nostalgia with next-gen leisure, preserving a number of the outdated cinema’s aura,” says Bhuvanesh.

Miraj Cinemas executed the redesigning of the world over a span of six to eight months. “One large problem was to stability outdated and new — preserving the soul of the outdated theatre whereas assembly right now’s luxurious expectations. The workforce stored the nostalgia largely within the thematic design components, moderately than, say, preserving outdated seats or the outdated display. Another problem was area optimisation: becoming lobbies, restrooms, and F&B areas into what was initially only a cinema corridor and lobby,” he explains.

Aesthetically, the redesign theme attracts from Art Deco and traditional cinema heritage. “There are Art Deco-inspired patterns and wall textures — a nod to the cinema’s classic previous. Expect polished marble flooring, glow-lit ceilings too. The area is garnished with geometric motifs and a few retro-style decor items (mirrors, lights) to evoke the golden age of cinema, however in a recent approach,” he shares.

The revamp additionally concerned dividing the area to create three separate auditoriums with a complete of 446 seats (Audi 1: 239, Audi 2: 104, Audi 3: 103). Bhuvanesh provides: “The architects/engineers had so as to add new soundproof partitions between auditoriums, guarantee every display had projection sightlines, and set up up to date seating on re-graded flooring slopes. One problem right here is to take care of glorious acoustics and sightlines within the new, smaller auditoriums when working inside the shell of an outdated single-screen; Miraj achieved this by equipping all screens with 2K digital projection, immersive 3D, and Dolby encompass sound.”

Previously, in 2024, Miraj Cinemas had revamped Chand Cinema in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, New Delhi, a once-popular standalone theatre, as a six-screen luxurious multiplex beneath the brand new model Chand Miraj Cinemas. But Miraj Cinemas is barely one of many many gamers that need to revive single-screen theatres, by reworking them into premium, tech-driven venues in Delhi. Some of the examples are PVR Priya (Vasant Vihar, Delhi), an iconic 1978-dated single-screen cinema relaunched in 2021; Vishal Cinema (Rajouri Garden, Delhi), a 1,400-seater remodeled into PVR INOX Vishal, a six-screen multiplex with IMAX and 4DX in 2023; and Chanakya Cinema (Chanakyapuri, Delhi), although not a latest revamp, it’s value noting that this legendary venue was demolished and rebuilt right into a luxurious mall with PVR Chanakya inside.

At current Miraj Cinemas is screening Jolly LLB 3, Nishaanchi, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle and Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi. Tickets for these could be booked through Miraj’s web site or apps and thru third-party ticketing platforms, because the multiplex is now absolutely operational.