City loses another Art Deco single screen cinema as Tardeo's defunct Diana Talkies is razed to the ground
The cinema was identified as a defunct structure in 2016. Pic courtesy/Mohammed Esa Shaikh
"Diana Talkies, the single screen hall at Tardeo, used to be popular with cine goers. It was where the 'second run' for films was screened. In those days, after a film released in major theatres of Bombay, the second run would see the same movie being screened in these cinemas, especially across south central Mumbai," recalls Rafique Baghdadi, a film historian. In fact, the city chronicler was surprised when we shared the news with him; he had noticed the grand old lady stand in quiet ruin only a couple of weeks back.
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"It was a favourite with families who would drop by for a relaxed evening, and soon, it became an integral part of the socio-cultural landscape of Tardeo," adds Baghdadi. Buzz around the news of its razing surfaced on social media a few days back, after Mohammed Esa Shaikh, architect and heritage buff, posted two frames of the site — before and after the demolition of the theatre. "This might have happened three-four days back, I suspect. We live in this area, and as a kid, I would gaze at the abandoned cinema hall in awe, particularly at its Art Deco motifs that can be spotted on the outer right façade of the structure," he points out, while taking us through the frames of the cinema that opened in 1942.
Esa tells us that the area had been cordoned off for a while. "Some time back, I had tried to have a closer look at the structure, but wasn't able to, as a 'Restricted Zone' board had been installed there. It seems like the area will be converted into a commercial space." The building falls in the D Ward and had been identified as a defunct structure in 2016. While offices functioned within the premises until a few years back, screenings had stopped since the 1980s. The property was in the news for being locked in battle between the BMC and its owners.
"Despite being in decrepit condition, she stood gracefully. One the one hand, we want to pitch World Heritage Site status for our Art Deco structures, and on the other, these neglected landmarks get pulled down. It's a worrying sign," signs off conservation architect, Vikas Dilawari.
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