Forget travelling to London, Chicago or even Sydney for your operatic pleasures. Now, you can get your fill of oratorio, theatre and dance in Mumbai itself, with the city’s one-time favourite Opera House, set to get renovated after months of waiting.
Architect Abha Narain Lambah, who is in charge of the project, says the journey was ‘magical’. She says, “To see the lovely opera interiors - the stage with all functioning equipment, galleries and chandeliers - was like walking back in time.” It was also a journey of learning for her. “You have to understand the language of the opera, the backstage etc. It meant so much, for instance, Prithviraj Kapoor literally lived upstairs in the green room,” she says, adding, “there are paintings of playwrights on the wall and the chairs, curtains and stage are still there. When you walk in, it’s as though any time someone will just throw on the lights - surreal,” she says.
There are definite conservation measures undertaken to restore the structure to its original grandeur. “Our first aim is to structurally stabilise and strengthen it,” reveals Abha. Thus, the Baroque-style building will see structural repairs in phase one, while phase two will comprise doing the interiors. It is expected to see completion within a year.
In May 2001, the planning dictum 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. “That is the land use and what the owner of the building - the Maharaja of Gondal intends,” she says.
