Royal Opera House gets renovation nod
Mumbai: The Royal Opera House, the only one of its kind in the country, is all set for a makeover. The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) on Thursday gave permission to conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah for carrying out structural stabilisation of the building, which was built in 1909 and is currently owned by Maharaja of Gondal on a 999-year-lease.
The grade II heritage structure had been in a state of disrepair for more than two decades after it stopped screening films and was locked up in the late 1980s.
The building has been locked up for a long time now and, as a result, is in a precarious condition. But now that the MHCC has given its approval, we would like to start work on it as early as possible and finish it in a years time, Lambah told TOI.
Lambah said urgent attention would be given to repair of the roof, which is leaking, and the balconies of the structure.
The Opera House was built largely due to the efforts of two menCalcutta-based entertainer Maurice Bandmann and and Jehangir Framji Karaka, owner of a coal brokers firm.
It was constructed on a plot they had leased near Kennedy and Sandhurst bridges. The Opera House had the best of everything, including Italian marble and two crystal chandeliers in the foyer that were donated by the Sassoon family.
In 1911, permission was sought, and granted, on the occasion of King George Vs visit to Mumbai to use the prefix Royal. When asked if the Opera House would restart screening films once it is restored back to its original form, Lambah said that it is completely a prerogative of the owner what he wants to do with it once the restoration work is over.
READY FOR THE FACE-LIFT: The Royal Opera House