Raj Mandir

Mehtab Chandra Golcha opened Raj Mandir on June 1, 1976, a decade after construction began. His dream was a theater that combined luxury, architecture, and entertainment unlike any other in India, designed by architect W. M. Namjoshi in Art Moderne style, a late Art Deco aesthetic rarely used in India. Nine stars on the exterior signify nine gemstones in the Navaratna style, an homage to the owners’ jewelry house. The Bhuramal Rajmal Surana group still operates it today. Inside, seating is divided into four gem-named categories: Pearl, Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond. The cinema sold out every single day for 25 consecutive years, a streak that defies logic and multiplexes. One meringue-shaped monument to the belief that going to the movies should feel like an event.