Current Watch Site
The Royal Opera House rises prominently at a bustling intersection in Mumbai. Maurice E. Bandmann, a renowned entertainer from Calcutta, and Jehangir Framji Karaka, head of a firm of coal brokers, drew up the Baroque style designs for the theater. Completed in 1915, the structure hosted operas and live performances until converted into a cinema in 1935. Today it is the only remaining opera house in India. The ornate façade includes elongated pilasters, Italianate balustrades, and a sculpted frieze across the pediment. The dramatic décor continues in the interior with Minton tile flooring, marble statues, crystal chandeliers, and a gold ceiling. Abandoned over twenty years ago, the building has deteriorated over time yet eluded demolition.
This lavish baroque façade, gilded interiors, and red carpets once welcomed Mumbai’s theater, opera, and film elite. Now, only a generation later, there is little awareness of its history and significance; it is seemingly a faded jewel. Continuing neglect will destine the building for ruin, but the current owner, His Highness the Maharaja of Gondal, would like to prevent this from happening. Conservation and redevelopment efforts are needed to preserve the Royal Opera House and revive its legacy as an important cultural venue for the people of India.
Download a 2012 Watch poster of this site (see download instructions).
UPDATE
In January 2013, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee approved the private owner’s proposal for the restoration of the interior of the Opera House. January 2013
IN THE MEDIA
- Mumbai opera house on world monuments watch list
The Times Of India, October 7, 2011 - Mumbai's Opera House on list of endangered architectural sites
Daily News & Analysis, October 9, 2011
- Opera around the corner
Livemint, October 28, 2011
- Opera House preps up for another act
Indian Express, October 20, 2011
