Parallel cinema

Among some of the sites that have defined Delhi's entertainment culture is Rivoli "" one of the city's oldest and smallest cinema halls along with Regal cinema.

Started by Sir Sobha Singh, a famous contractor in the days of the Raj, the hall was famous for being one of the very few screening English films from well known banners like Columbia, Warner Brothers and Fox International, besides the usual Hindi fare.

Rivoli was sold to the Sahni brothers later, who also owned Odeon cinema. The hall's trend for showing Hindi films in the mornings started when, as a favour to a friend, the Sahnis screened Aradhana, which ran to packed houses for many weeks to come. Later, the hall screened many other films like Pakeezah and Bhabhi. Gradually regional cinema also found an audience here.

In its later years however, Rivoli entered the C-zone, screening soft Hindi and English porn and attracting an audience that made its surroundings a torture with their catcalls.

Dilapidated and suffering the risk of becoming an outcast, the hall's second lease of life came when it was taken over by the Bijli brothers of PVR and rechristened PVR Rivoli.

Glitzy, trendy and clean, Rivoli has now regained its lost stature and is once again attracting the crowd it used to in its hey days... while retaining its charm. The decor is reminiscent of a glittering past "" with posters from the Guru Dutt, Saira Bano et al.