Playing to a full house

When it first opened in 1954, Delite cinema was the tallest building in Delhi. It was also the costliest building, sprawled on a property that had cost its owners close to Rs 7 lakh.

The property price tag apart, the project of starting this cinema hall cost, in those days, Rs 30 lakh.

The charm of Delite lay not just in showcasing family films but also in being a second home of sorts for the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor, who staged long plays (sometimes as long as 15 days) and stayed in the premises of the theatre with his family.

The lobby of the plush revamped theatre showcases some rare pictures of the Kapoor family, of politicians and other celebrities who used to visit the cinema hall.

Sadly the hall, after tasting success for 30 long years, suffered badly in the 1980s when India witnessed the VCR and cable revolution. "We broke even, even then but for 10 years the going was difficult," reminisces Delite's general manager, RK Mehrotra.

It was Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Kaun that rescued Delite in 1994 when it released. The film ran for 52 weeks and pulled back audiences once again into the hall.

Then came the challenge of the multiplex culture. Delite began revamping its hall in 1994 and has till date spent almost Rs 8 crore on its upgrade.

Now Delite Diamond, a 148-seater hall, originally an area where magic shows, ballet dances and plays were showcased, opened last year to a full house and saw expenditure worth Rs 3 crore... and growing.