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Royal Opera House (Mumbai)
Encyclopedia
Royal Opera House, also known as Opera House in Mumbai
(formerly Bombay), is India's only surviving opera house
. The name ‘Royal’ got prefixed to ‘opera house’ as its foundation stone was laid during the British Raj
in 1909, and King George V
inaugurated the building in 1911 while the building was still under construction. But it was completed in 1912. Additions were made to the building up to 1915.
With cinematography getting popular in the early 1930s, the opera house was modified for screening films and holding fashion shows. It was in January 1991 that the last film show was held here. There after the premises has been acquired by the erstwhile princely state of Gondal family on a 999 year lease. In 1993, the last public event: the Kathiawad fashion show was held here. The area around the theatre is also referred to as the Opera House in Mumbai.
Ultimately, in 1980s it was closed down. Till recently, it was in a dilapidated condition but in March 2008 the Maharashtra Government agencies announced that they were undertaking conservation measures to restore the heritage structure to its original grandeur. The operational wings of the opera house at the time of restoration works were only a tea stall and shops on the ground floor.
design featuring a blend of European and Indian architectural style was conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann and Jehangir Framji Karaka. It was built with exquisite Italian
marble on a leased land close to the Kennedy and Sandhurst bridges. Although the work was completed in 1912, several additions were made until 1915. The pediment
figure at the pinnacle was substituted with three cherubs
. A pair of unique crystal chandelier
s, called the ‘Sans Souci’, donated by the David Sassoon
family, which was earlier located in the Sassoon mansion, was shifted to the foyer of the opera house. At the main entrance, the dome is segmented into eight different parts "as a tribute to poets, dramatists, novelists, literati and people from art and culture." The interiors of the opera house as it existed in the past were provided with orchestra stalls with cosy cane chairs. 26 rows of boxes with couches were provided behind the stalls. The seating enabled a clear view of the stage to all the people seated in the stalls and in the Dress Circle. The acoustics were planned by providing the ceiling in a manner that permitted distinct audibility to audience seated in the gallery to hear every word or song from the stage. The entrance was originally designed with a frontage for carriages to drive in.
followed by several premiers of the famous Bollywood
movies. The opera house screened not only premieres of Bollywood movies but also live theatre performances by French production Pathé
, Prithviraj Kapoor
, and Marathi stalwarts like Bal Gandharva
and Dinanath Mangeshkar
. Lata Mangeshkar
, the renowned play back singer of India gave her first performance at this opera house. In 1993, Fashion designer Sangita Kathiwada, a relative of Jyotinder Singh, the former Maharaja of Gondal (the owner of the place), held a fashion show at this opera house, and it was the last public event reported here.
The Maharashtra State Government wanted to take over the Opera House to restore it to its original grandeur. The government requested the Mumbai Urban Heritage Conservation Committee (MUHCC) to acquire the heritage structure after verifying its legal status. The MUHCC had already been entrusted the task of preparing plans for restoration of this heritage building categorised as a grade II heritage structure. The detailed proposal for conservation was prepared by well known conservation architects of Mumbai. In May 2008, MUHCC authorised Abha Narain Lambah and her associates to carry out structural stabilisation of the building and its restoration. Abha, the architect, considers the restoration of the Opera House as her dream project and states:
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(formerly Bombay), is India's only surviving opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
. The name ‘Royal’ got prefixed to ‘opera house’ as its foundation stone was laid during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in 1909, and King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
inaugurated the building in 1911 while the building was still under construction. But it was completed in 1912. Additions were made to the building up to 1915.
With cinematography getting popular in the early 1930s, the opera house was modified for screening films and holding fashion shows. It was in January 1991 that the last film show was held here. There after the premises has been acquired by the erstwhile princely state of Gondal family on a 999 year lease. In 1993, the last public event: the Kathiawad fashion show was held here. The area around the theatre is also referred to as the Opera House in Mumbai.
Ultimately, in 1980s it was closed down. Till recently, it was in a dilapidated condition but in March 2008 the Maharashtra Government agencies announced that they were undertaking conservation measures to restore the heritage structure to its original grandeur. The operational wings of the opera house at the time of restoration works were only a tea stall and shops on the ground floor.
Structure
The Opera House built in baroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
design featuring a blend of European and Indian architectural style was conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann and Jehangir Framji Karaka. It was built with exquisite Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
marble on a leased land close to the Kennedy and Sandhurst bridges. Although the work was completed in 1912, several additions were made until 1915. The pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
figure at the pinnacle was substituted with three cherubs
CHERUBS
CHERUBS is a Non-Profit Organization. It was founded in February, 1995 for families of children born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, a severe and often lethal birth defect. It was founded and currently led by Dawn M...
. A pair of unique crystal chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s, called the ‘Sans Souci’, donated by the David Sassoon
David Sassoon
David Sassoon was the treasurer of Baghdad between 1817 and 1829. He became the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay after Baghdadi Jews emigrated there.-Biography:...
family, which was earlier located in the Sassoon mansion, was shifted to the foyer of the opera house. At the main entrance, the dome is segmented into eight different parts "as a tribute to poets, dramatists, novelists, literati and people from art and culture." The interiors of the opera house as it existed in the past were provided with orchestra stalls with cosy cane chairs. 26 rows of boxes with couches were provided behind the stalls. The seating enabled a clear view of the stage to all the people seated in the stalls and in the Dress Circle. The acoustics were planned by providing the ceiling in a manner that permitted distinct audibility to audience seated in the gallery to hear every word or song from the stage. The entrance was originally designed with a frontage for carriages to drive in.
Past events
Since its inauguration in 1912, the opera house was the pride of Bombay, as the only opera house in the country. The entertainment extravaganza at this opera house was started by American magician RaymondRaymond
Raymond is a male given name . It was borrowed into English from French...
followed by several premiers of the famous Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movies. The opera house screened not only premieres of Bollywood movies but also live theatre performances by French production Pathé
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
, Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor
Prithviraj Kapoor , 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry, who started his career as an actor, in the silent era of Hindi cinema, associated with IPTA and who founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company based in Mumbai, in...
, and Marathi stalwarts like Bal Gandharva
Bal Gandharva
Narayan Shripad Rajhans , better known as Bal Gandharva was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time....
and Dinanath Mangeshkar
Dinanath Mangeshkar
Dinanath Mangeshkar was a well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and an exceptional Hindustani classical vocalist....
. Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, the renowned play back singer of India gave her first performance at this opera house. In 1993, Fashion designer Sangita Kathiwada, a relative of Jyotinder Singh, the former Maharaja of Gondal (the owner of the place), held a fashion show at this opera house, and it was the last public event reported here.
Restoration measures
Initially, in May 2001, it was noted that the opera house as a Heritage building could not be redeveloped but only restored. Even for restoration, funds needed to be found. With these two basic aspects in view, the planning dictum followed was that:The historicity of the building and its architecture will be lost if it is not used as a theatre and there should not be a change of user.The initial plan proposed was to convert a part of the open plot to be developed commercially to generate funds, which could self sustain the expenditure involved in the restoration and maintenance of the existing heritage building. To proceed further with this plan, it was also considered essential to negotiate with the existing owner Maharaja Vikramsinghji Bhojraji of Gondal to get his consent to the incentive plan.
The Maharashtra State Government wanted to take over the Opera House to restore it to its original grandeur. The government requested the Mumbai Urban Heritage Conservation Committee (MUHCC) to acquire the heritage structure after verifying its legal status. The MUHCC had already been entrusted the task of preparing plans for restoration of this heritage building categorised as a grade II heritage structure. The detailed proposal for conservation was prepared by well known conservation architects of Mumbai. In May 2008, MUHCC authorised Abha Narain Lambah and her associates to carry out structural stabilisation of the building and its restoration. Abha, the architect, considers the restoration of the Opera House as her dream project and states:
It's such a stunning building. Restoring the building would be a dream come true for me.Repair to the roof and the balconies of the structure are taken up on priority. With the conservation works undertaken, the erstwhile Maharaja of Gondal expects that the structure's original grandeur would be restored.