3 weeks ago
Roxy Cinema restoration to auditorium to finish by year-end
There is a very old movie theatre in Kolkata called Roxy Cinema.
It is special because it is a protected heritage building that is more than a hundred years old.
It was first built between 1904 and 1910 as a theatre for plays.
Later, in the 1940s, it became a place where people watched movies.
Now, a group of builders and the city government are working together to fix it up.
They are turning it into an auditorium where people can watch performances.
The auditorium will have about 450 to 500 seats.
The builders will fix the inside, while the city will handle electricity, air conditioning, and fire safety.
There might also be a small museum about movies made in Bengal.
Restoration of Roxy Cinema and its conversion into an auditorium will be completed by the end of the year, Credai announced on Monday.
Credai signed an MoU with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in July 2025 to restore the heritage structure under a public-private partnership.
The new auditorium will have 450 to 500 seats, with a fixed stage on the ground floor and two upper floors for seating.
Credai will spend ₹5 crore on the restoration, while the KMC will contribute nearly an equal amount for electrical, civil, AC, and firefighting work.
Roxy was commissioned between 1904 and 1910 as a theatre, converted into a cinema in the 1940s, and is a Grade IIA heritage building; a museum on Bengal movie history is also planned.
- Who
- The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (Credai), the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and architect Anirban Bhaduri.
- What
- Restoration of the heritage Roxy Cinema and its conversion into an auditorium with 450 to 500 seats.
- Where
- Kolkata, India; Roxy Cinema, a Grade IIA heritage building.
- When
- Restoration is to be completed by the end of the year; the MoU was signed in July 2025.
- Why
- To preserve the heritage structure and repurpose it as an auditorium through a public-private partnership.
Key facts
- Building
- Roxy Cinema, Grade IIA heritage building
- Location
- Kolkata, India
- New use
- Auditorium with 450-500 seats
- MoU signed
- July 2025 between Credai and KMC
- Cost
- ₹5 crore by Credai; nearly equal contribution by KMC
- Original construction
- Commissioned between 1904 and 1910
- Converted to cinema
- 1940s
- Special feature
- Hydraulic adjustable stage (now to be fixed)
Quotes
Sidharth Pansari
Immediate past president of Credai, Calcutta
“Credai will restore the interiors, furnish them, set up the stage and install the audio‑visual system. The KMC will complete the electrical and civil work, install the AC and firefighting measures,”
telegraphindia.com
“The restoration is being done in a public‑private partnership,”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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