PVR Inox Breathes New Life Into Heritage Lido Cinema

EE News Desk Jun 10, 2024

PVR Inox has announced a weeklong Zoya Akhtar retrospective film festival starting from 7th June, celebrating her 15-year journey in filmmaking

PVR Inox, through its luxury arm, The Luxury Collection has transformed the historic Lido Cinema at Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz, Mumbai, into a versatile and vibrant space while retaining its heritage charm. With this new restoration project, PVR Inox has set a precedent for its commitment to preserving and restoring iconic cinemas of the country.

Originally a single-screen cinema, Lido has been redesigned into a stunning building that seamlessly blends modern features with the unmistakable beauty of its original art deco retro charm. The new cinema will augment PVR Inox’s foothold in Mumbai to a total of 25 cinemas across 125 screens and 55 cinemas across 276 screens in Maharashtra. With this opening, PVR Inox consolidates its presence in Western India with a total of 372 screens in 80 properties.

To mark the launch of PVR Inox Lido and celebrate the occasion, PVR Inox hosted a grand opening event in the presence of Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR Inox, and renowned director, Zoya Akhtar along with Farhan Akhtar and Reema Kagti. Additionally, PVR Inox Lido will run a week-long retrospective film festival from 7 June, 2024, celebrating 15 years of Zoya Akhtar’s filmmaking journey. The festival will showcase various movies from her diverse filmography produced by Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby.

For over two decades, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar have been storytelling powerhouses in the Hindi film industry. Through Excel Entertainment in association with Tiger Baby, they've brought us unforgettable movies like ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, ‘Talaash’, and ‘Luck By Chance’. These films aren't just entertainment; they're deep journeys that touch your heart and get people talking. With themes like love, ambition, and self-discovery, Sidhwani, Akhtar, and Excel Entertainment have reshaped how stories are told in Indian cinema.

Commenting on the opening, Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR Inox, said, “The reopening of Lido Cinema represents a significant moment for us at PVR Inox Such iconic cinemas represent the distinctive architectural legacy and fabric of the city that they belong to, and we are happy that in reviving this historic cinema, we could preserve a slice of Mumbai’s heritage and cultural identity. We are particularly thrilled to launch the heritage cinema with a retrospective film festival celebrating Zoya Akhtar’s remarkable 15-year journey in filmmaking, which perfectly aligns with our vision of curating memorable and enriching experiences for movie lovers. The unique appeal of the new cinema lies in its ultra-modern viewing experience that will be enjoyed by generations to come.”

Situated close to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, the cinema has undergone a remarkable makeover, now converted into a three-screen multiplex with a total of 326 seats. To offer its patrons an unparalleled movie-watching experience, it features state-of-the-art projection and sound technologies, including 2K laser projectors, Next Gen 3D, and Dolby 7.1 sound.

The interior of the cinema is done in an intriguing contrast of black, white, and grey stones with hints of blue. These stunning contrasts give the cinema an exclusive, grand, and sophisticated aura, matching the taste of modern cinemagoers. The exterior of the cinema is as striking as its beautiful interiors. Its larger-than-life mural covering half the building with a massive PVR Inox signage serves as a homage to the rich legacy of Bollywood film heritage and the cinemas of yesteryears, making the cinema building unmistakably visible from a distance.

“Lido Cinema has been a part of Mumbai’s landscape for almost eight decades. We are incredibly happy that our efforts to restore this cinema have helped it transition to an avant-garde experiential space. We are delighted to open this new chapter with an event that brings together influential voices from the film industry like Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, and Reema Kagti. We have prioritised cinema aesthetics, technology, and the experience of the moviegoers and hope for it to become the preferred movie-watching destination for people from all walks of life.” said Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR Inox.

This transition of Lido Cinema, which was the oldest cinema in Juhu with wooden seats, to its more recent renovation in 1979, and now to this modern and artistic avatar, is synonymous with the changing preferences of movie watchers.