Are you a film buff? This artist has created unique illustrations of Mumbai's Art Deco cinema halls

Illustrations of Metro. Pics Courtesy/Storycity

For artist-designer Ruchita Madhok, Mumbai's Art Deco cinema halls house more than just eclectic films. Their ascending ziggurats, geometrical motifs and grand interiors usher in memories of her college days, when she could skip class and be at Eros or Liberty in time for a new movie. "I grew up watching films in Art Deco movie halls in the early '90s. Liberty was well-known for Hindi films but the others showcased a lot of English movies too. Each of these halls is important to me and my love for films, as well as to so many cinema-lovers in Mumbai," she tells us. As a tribute to these iconic structures, the founder of Kahani Designworks and Storycity and her team have created a set of four illustrations of Regal, Liberty, Eros and Metro cinemas that are available at Kulture Shop.

Illustrations of Regal

The design studio has previously worked on a book and a map dedicated to the city's Art Deco buildings. The illustrations were prompted by a need to offer tourists or Mumbai's film-lovers a souvenir to remember these cinema halls by. The designs were illustrated by Niyosha Gandhi with art direction by Madhok and Aditya Palsule. The artworks are available in a variety of sizes spanning A5 to A0, as art, canvas or giclée prints with options for framing too.

"Each hall had its own character, and if you were a regular, you knew which seat you wanted," recalls Madhok. Walking into the Art Deco cinema halls, with their marble floors, lush carpets, brass work and more, made it a distinguished experience. "You would leave the city outside and walk into this grand setup. Nowadays, the experience at [multiplexes or modern-day cinema halls] is the same everywhere," she adds.

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