Two businessmen vow to revive cinema culture in Mussoorie through tech upgrade

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, December 7

The revival of the cinema halls in the town that once boasted of around six to seven cinema Halls since British era and were gathering dust since 1980's is on the anvil courtesy two film passionate business men from Mussoorie.

Rajat Agarwal and Sandeep Sahni two Hoteliers and residents of the town have been part of the cinema culture in Mussoorie have taken up the onus of reproducing the magic of silver screen and are planning to construct back to Back cinema halls after renovating the Vasu cinema (Known as Majestic during British period, near Library Bazaar in Mussoorie.

Rajat Agarwal one of the partner in the project said that the absence of cinema Hall in Mussoorie since 1950's has brought the entertainment activities in the town to a standstill and it was for this reason they thought of re-starting the cinema culture in Mussoorie.

He also said that the cinema hall once constructed will be at par with the best cinema halls in the country, the technology used for projection, sound would be from Dolby, and the films will be beamed

directly through satellite. He also said that presently their plan is to have a seating arrangement of around 70 seats. He also said that they were contemplating on constructing two cinema halls back to back at same place if the designs permit for such project.

Sandeep Sahni, hotelier and co-partner in the project said that for him it is revisiting the era of yesteryears when there were six cinema Halls in Mussoorie and going to watch a film used to be an event in itself. Sandeep Sahni, further said that he agreed for the project for the social cause and was not looking at it as profitable business

venture. He also said that presently the parents of the boarding school student while visiting the school rush to Dehradun to show their kids film due to absence of cinema hall in Mussoorie.

"If Mussoorie had its own cinema Hall the parents of these boarding students would prefer to stay in Mussoorie and watch latest films instead of going down to Dehradun" Said Sandeep Sahni.

The senior citizen and eminent travel books author Hugh Gantzer shedding light on the history of cinema halls said that there were around six to seven Cinema hills right up to 1980, in Mussoorie

namely, The Electric Picture Palace, that opened in 1912, the year electricity came to the hill station. right below it was Jubilee, Roxy near Kulri Bazaar, Capitol cinema Hall which was also known as Palladium below Hackman's hotel and Majestic or Vasu which would also be sight for the new age cinema hall proposed by the two businessmen in Mussoorie.

The residents of the town remembering the good old days of cinema halls in Mussoorie said that the cinema halls continued working till 1980 and following that due to the onslaught of VCR/DVD culture and

the high entertainment tax rate most of the cinema Halls began shutting down one by one. It was fun watching Rajesh Khanna romance with beautiful co-artist such as Sharmila Tagore etc on the silver screen with sound booming

from all sides said Upendar a resident of the town. Even Ruskin Bond eminent children book author has said that he use to go to watch films in the cinema halls of Mussoorie during his youth.

The residents of the town have welcomed the move and said that onecinema Hall in the town would help in bringing back the old entertainment glory to certain extent.