कोशिश गोल्ड - मुक्त

A battle for Delhi's soul in the glare of streaming services, multiplexes

Hindustan Times Delhi

|

October 13, 2025

In the hushed darkness, just before a projector whirrs to life, you can almost hear — whispers of a million shared memories.

- Karn Pratap Singh and Snehil Sinha

It's the rustle of samosas being passed down a row in crinkled newspaper, the clink of chilled glass bottles of Limca or Goldspot shared between siblings, and the collective cheers and whistles in the hall as a hero makes his entrance For generations of Delhiites who came of age before the turn of the millennium, this was a sacred weekend ritual — the single-screen cinema experience.

These were not just buildings of brick and mortar; they were the epicentres of family life, where the dreams of millions were projected in 70mm glory. This is where generations marked time with Sunday matinées, first dates trembled in the dark, and families formed core memories that would be reminisced over decades.

Today, in a city once dotted with nearly 70 such palaces of dreams, only four surviving single-screen theatres stand as sentinels to a bygone era: Delite in Daryaganj, Liberty in Karol Bagh, Amba near Shakti Nagar, and Gagan in Nand Nagri.

They are more than just theatres; they are repositories of nostalgia, monuments to resilience, holding within their worn seats and fading walls echoes of laughter and tears — a part of the very soul of Delhi. They are the final reel in a story that began with the birth of a nation and is now flickering, against the glare of multiplexes and the convenience of streaming services.

A fading marquee

The dawn of the 21st century brought with it the multiplex — a convenient, climate-controlled experience that often nestled inside shopping malls. It offered a sense of luxury and choice that the old halls could not. Then came the back-to-back blows of demonetisation, which slashed cash-dependent sales overnight, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which shuttered theatres for months and trained an entire population to find its entertainment at home on OTT platforms.

Hindustan Times Delhi से और कहानियाँ

Hindustan Times

'SRK mujhe adopt karne waale hain bas'

Actor Raghav Juyal has emerged as a breakout performer from Aryan Khan's The Ba***ds Of Bollywood. Crediting their collaboration, he says, \"Mera aur Aryan ka combination bahut deadly hai. Our thought process is similar in comedy.

time to read

1 mins

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

Taliban cautions Pak as violence intensifies

Afghanistan wants to resolve border clashes with Pakistan through dialogue but has recourse to “other means” if peaceful efforts do not succeed, Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday.

time to read

2 mins

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times

Healy masterclass trumps India’s opening statement

The Aussie skipper hits 142, the highest score in this World Cup, to help holders chase India’s 330 with three wickets in hand

time to read

3 mins

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times Delhi

TINY TREATS, BIG TREND

From bite-sized rasmalai jars to tiny ghewars, here's how artisanal mithai brands are reimagining traditional sweets for modern cravings

time to read

2 mins

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times Delhi

Hindustan Times Delhi

INDIAN LUXURY AUTO MARKET 2025

Trends, Challenges, and the Promise of GST Reforms

time to read

7 mins

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

Women journalists part of Muttaqi's 2nd presser

More than a dozen women journalists attended a news conference on Sunday by Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who said their absence at another interaction two days ago wasn't by design.

time to read

1 min

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times

Some families yet to evacuate Signature View Apts

More families evacuated their homes at Signature View Apartments in North Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar on Sunday—the final day of the court-mandated deadline.

time to read

1 min

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

CHIDAMBARAM'S COMMENTS ON OP BLUE STAR FAN POLITICAL ROW

Former Union minister P Chidambaram stirred a debate on Saturday as he said Operation Blue Star was carried out in the “wrong way” and former PM Indira Gandhi “paid with her life for that mistake”.

time to read

1 min

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times

4 arrested over Bengal gang rape

Four people have been arrested for the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student in a forested area near her college campus in Durgapur, West Bengal, on Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday afternoon.

time to read

1 min

October 13, 2025

Hindustan Times Delhi

US seeks e-comm inventory model

Negotiators cite ‘level playing field’, move may heighten the competition

time to read

2 mins

October 13, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size