Maratha Mandir

Opened in 1958, Maratha Mandir was designed as a ‘Picture Palace’ – a place that brought palatial grandeur to the masses, matching the massive dreams being projected on the screen with an equally grand building.

Walking into the lobby will send you back several decades. It was a feat of mid-century engineering back then, designed to hold over a thousand people at once. The ceilings are high, every whistle and cheer from the crowd is amplified because of the building’s architecture, and there’s an air of communal energy you won’t find at modern multiplexes. 

There’s a bunch of things about the theatre that award it legendary status in the city. You can’t talk about Maratha Mandir without mentioning the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge phenomenon, for instance. The film’s been playing here every single day for nearly 30 years now – it’s a world record that turned a simple matinee into a rite of passage. 

The balcony’s also a symbol of instant recall. No premium leather recliners here because the balcony’s got the best views in the hall. The Grand Proscenium’s another cool feature – the towering frame around the screen was specifically designed, back then, to make the actors look like gods. And you can’t miss the 1960s canteen. It’s humle, it’s vintage, and it still serves up the movie-day popcorn vibe that generations of cityfolk grew up with. 

Time Out trivia: Maratha Mandir once famously hosted a premier of the epic Mughal-e-Azam in 1960, where the film print was actually delivered on a decorated elephant.