I had to request my autowallah to slow down. It was only after I was able to crane my neck did I notice, much to my horror, that Deep Mandir, the once-popular single screen cinema of Mulund, was gone. In its place were barricades and scaffolding announcing the arrival of a mega residential complex. It meant that this longtime suburban landmark had been wiped off, like so many of its ilk that is staring at their demise, worsened now due to the post-pandemic economic slowdown. Its quiet end was a tragic contrast to its glory days, when it played a huge role in the social life Mulund's citizens.

The single screen cinema stood along the suburb's stretch of LBS Marg that overlooked the green expanse of another landmark – pharma giant Johnson & Johnson's office. Once upon a time in the 1980s and early 90s – it used to be a popular stretch where Mulund folk would hang out with friends and family. They'd watch a movie, stroll down the tree-lined road's broad pavements, step into the well-maintained public garden and end the evening with a snack at Hot Plate, another favourite but now-gone al fresco eatery.