Let the show go on

Was it my overzealous imagination or my floatersmdasha gift of old agemdashbut were you near Eros building recentlyrdquo Sir PM asked Lady Flora his longtime friend walking companion and fellow Bombayworrier ldquoPheroze how did you spot me despite all the scaffolding and construction work I was doing an onsite inspection after a crazy rumour was floated last weekend You heard about it rightrdquo Lady Flora askedldquoYes I was returning after having a look at the Swastik Court building nearby I had read that the residents had done a fabulous job of ensuring the site was restored by availing the services of experts in the field of Art Deco architecture and thatrsquos when I spotted you Forgive me for my ignorance but may I ask what was I supposed to have lsquoheardrsquo that made you get into detective moderdquo Sir PM prodded his friend for the detailsldquoNow you and I and most regulars in SoBo are quite familiar with the sight of the Eros building that has been under a massive veil of construction activity for a couple of years right But a handful of armchair historians and cine buffs raised alarm bells I am pretty sure they donrsquot come to this part of town often and hence went berserk claiming that the cinema hall was being torn down There is this new platformmdashthey call it social mediamdashwhere the information is shared And because they have many followers ndash unseen to the eye of course ndash who latched on to the news it spread like wildfire across these channels and soon enough caused all kinds of shockwaves among the heritage and cultural community as well as regular unsuspecting citizens Clearly yoursquove been under a rock Pherozerdquo Lady Florarsquos tone changed from normal to highpitched with this gentle reprimand for not being in the know about their favourite citySir PM had a blank gaze for a few moments with the information overload Soon he collected himself and enquired ldquoMy Lady but that isnrsquot the truth rightrdquo She was still upset about the entire scenario but had calmed down a bit after sipping on her ginger tea at Horniman Circle Garden ldquoNot at all but this is an awful way to spread rumours I mean do your homework before making these alarmist claims My sinuses soared when the fake news had ripped through the air that Sunday morning How terribly irresponsible Dr Viegas left his morning mass service halfway to check if it was true I dispatched Percy who moved only because he was bribed with a few treats to do an air borne check thankfully he returned with news that calmed the senses Still I wasnrsquot convinced and decided to have a dekko after dark when things were quieterrdquoldquoAnd what did you see on your site visitrdquo Sir PM asked Lady Florarsquos voice went low ldquoWell it made for sad visuals I remembered so many trips to the movies here From being wowed by Scarlett OrsquoHara in Gone With The Wind to Audrey Hepburnrsquos mesmeric presence in Roman Holiday It was tough to hold back the tears I had to tread carefully amidst the construction material but the memories kept flashing back Pheroze it was a disturbing reality that we might lose a part of our history and memoriesrdquoSir PM despite his casual approach to daily occurrences post his retirement from civic life was aware of the rulebook inside out ldquoWorry not my Lady My sources tell me that all will be well Eros building is going nowhere as much as those misinformed folk would like to imagine and portray as if they were a band of cine superheroes Where were these guardian angels whenever discussions and debates emerged about the condition and future of Bombayrsquos single screen cinemas Do they even know about the UNESCO connection I wonder if they have stepped into a single screen movie hall of late yet they chose to set off the alarm Truth is the building belongs to a large cluster that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hence the structure cannot be torn down Secondly the faccedilade cannot be tampered with since it falls under the mandatory guidelines that come into force as it is a UNESCO site And lastly the site has been undergoing repair and restoration for a while Irsquove heard that it will become a multiplex on the lines of Metro in Dhobi Talao But more details are awaited and I will ask my sources for further clarityrdquo he explainedHis friend finally managed a half smile ldquoPheroze I am feeling a shade better I am glad to hear about the exteriors and I really hope they retain the interiors or at least its essence I heard that a respected conservation architect is helming affairs so that is a relief It was such a wonderful place to experience the movies in all its grandeur Even my visiting cousins from England would enjoy its stunning architecture its comfort Oh How I miss those days when moviewatching was such a relaxing pleasurable pastime rdquoldquoWell in that case I will look forward to watching a movie with you at Eros when the curtains are raised once againrdquo Sir PM comforted his friend adding ldquoUntil then why not show our solidarity towards Bombayrsquos Art Deco single screen cinemas by heading to Regal for a late night show My Ladyrdquomiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom