Metro INOX

Metro INOX Cinemas is a historic cinema venue in the Dhobitalao area of Mumbai, India. The building opened on 5 June 1938 as Metro Cinema and was developed and originally operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Its design was led by New York architect Thomas W. Lamb, with D. W. Ditchburn of the Mumbai architectural practice Ditchburn, Mistry and Bhedwar serving as associate architect. The building is recognized for its Art Deco character and heritage importance, including its marble foyer, grand staircases, red-and-pink interior palette, decorative murals and prominent street presence at the Metro Cinema junction. The venue initially specialized in MGM films, linking Mumbai audiences with Hollywood studio cinema during the pre- and post-war era. In 1955, it hosted the first Filmfare Awards ceremony, helping establish the location as an important site in Indian film culture. After the cinema was taken over by the Gupta family in 1970, its programming became more strongly associated with Indian-language films, particularly Hindi cinema. The venue subsequently developed a reputation as one of Mumbai's most recognizable Bollywood premiere theatres. Film premieres could attract major star appearances and large crowds, sometimes requiring additional police arrangements. The original single-screen format eventually came under pressure from the growth of multiplexes and changing audience habits. The auditorium's capacity of approximately 1,491 seats became difficult to fill consistently, and the building closed in the mid-2000s for conversion and renovation. Big Cinemas acquired the venue and reopened it in August 2006 as a six-screen multiplex, using a screening of Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna to mark the reopening. The redevelopment attempted to combine a modern multiplex operating model with preservation of the building's Art Deco interiors and heritage identity. The venue's names changed over time. It was known as Metro Cinema from 1938 to 2006, Metro Adlabs from 2006 to 2008 and Metro Big Cinema from 2008 to 2016. INOX acquired the cinema in 2016 and undertook another redevelopment and restoration program. The renovated venue was inaugurated on 29 November 2017 in the presence of actor Amitabh Bachchan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after which it operated as Metro INOX. The relaunch positioned the site as a luxury multiplex while retaining the symbolic value of one of Mumbai's best-known historic cinemas. Metro INOX is therefore both a cinema business location and a heritage property. Its significance comes from the combination of film exhibition, Mumbai architectural history, Hollywood and Bollywood programming, and its role as a ceremonial venue for premieres and awards. The available reference material does not establish the venue's current operating status, exact screen configuration after later modifications, or its present ownership arrangements beyond the reported INOX acquisition.

Metro Cinema opened in Mumbai's Dhobitalao district on 5 June 1938. It was built and initially operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, reflecting the importance of Hollywood studio exhibition in Indian metropolitan entertainment during the period. The principal architect was Thomas W. Lamb of New York City, while D. W. Ditchburn of the Mumbai firm Ditchburn, Mistry and Bhedwar acted as associate architect. The building was designed in an Art Deco style and became notable for its architectural detailing as well as its role as a film venue. The original interior used strong red and pink tones across the floors, walls, ceilings and furniture. A marble foyer and staircases led patrons toward murals produced by students of the Sir J. J. School of Art under Charles Gerard. These features made the cinema more than a conventional screening hall: it was a designed public interior and a visible landmark in central Mumbai. Its early programming centered on MGM productions. A major institutional moment occurred in 1955, when Metro hosted the first Filmfare Awards ceremony. The venue later became increasingly connected with Indian cinema. In 1970, the Gupta family took over the cinema, and its programming shifted toward Hindi films. Over subsequent decades, Metro became one of Mumbai's most prominent Bollywood premiere venues. The presence of major stars at premieres made the cinema a high-profile red-carpet location, and crowd-control arrangements, including the use of riot police on some occasions, became part of its public image. The spread of multiplexes created commercial pressure for the traditional single-screen format. Filling the cinema's reported 1,491 seats became more difficult, prompting the promoters to pursue conversion rather than retain the original configuration. Big Cinemas acquired the venue, which closed at the beginning of 2005 for renovation. The redevelopment preserved elements of the Art Deco interior while replacing the single-screen model with a six-screen multiplex. The reopened cinema began operations in August 2006, with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna used as the reopening film. During this phase it operated first as Metro Adlabs and later as Metro Big Cinema. In 2016, INOX acquired the building. The property was subsequently enclosed for renovation and was repositioned as a luxury multiplex that retained the historic identity of the original Metro Cinema. Metro INOX was formally inaugurated on 29 November 2017, with Amitabh Bachchan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis among those associated with the ceremony. The relaunch represented another transition from a historic single-screen theatre to a modern branded multiplex while continuing to use the building's architectural heritage as a central part of its appeal. The venue also has a difficult place in Mumbai's civic history: it was among the sites targeted during the 2008 Mumbai attacks attributed to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Later reference material reports approval in 2021 for construction of a fifth floor while the cinema remained operational. The available material does not provide enough information to confirm the venue's current operating status, its exact present-day screen count, or the identity of current managers and executives.

• 2021

  Fifth-floor construction approval

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  The venue reportedly received approval to add a fifth floor while remaining operational.

• 2017

  Metro INOX inauguration

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  The renovated venue was inaugurated on 29 November under the Metro INOX name.

• 2016

  INOX acquisition

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  INOX acquired the building and prepared a further restoration and multiplex transformation.

• 2008

  Venue is targeted during Mumbai attacks

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  Metro Cinema was among the locations targeted during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

• 2006

  Six-screen multiplex reopens

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  After renovation, the venue reopened in August as a six-screen multiplex.

• 2005

  Single-screen cinema closes for conversion

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  The venue closed for redevelopment as the traditional large-capacity format faced competition from multiplexes.

• 1970

  Gupta family takes over the cinema

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  Ownership changed hands and the venue entered a period increasingly associated with Hindi-film exhibition.

• 1955

  First Filmfare Awards ceremony

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  Metro served as the venue for the first Filmfare Awards night.

• 1938

  Metro Cinema opens in Mumbai

  [1]Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org

  The Art Deco cinema opened on 5 June 1938 in the Dhobitalao area and initially showed MGM films.

A heritage-led urban multiplex that combines Mumbai's historic Metro Cinema identity with contemporary INOX cinema operations.

• Single-screen cinema · 1938

  Metro Cinema

  The original 1938 cinema format, designed for large-scale film exhibition and initially associated with MGM programming. After 1970, the venue became strongly identified with Hindi-film screenings and major Bollywood premieres. Its Art Deco architecture, marble public spaces and decorative interiors remained central to the identity of the single-screen venue.

• Multiplex cinema · 2006

  Metro multiplex

  The multiplex format introduced after the mid-2000s redevelopment. The venue reopened in 2006 with six screens, combining contemporary cinema exhibition with restoration of selected Art Deco features. The conversion was a response to the difficulty of filling the original auditorium and the expansion of multiplex competition in Mumbai.

• Luxury multiplex cinema · 2017

  Metro INOX

  The INOX-era identity introduced after the 2016 acquisition and the 2017 relaunch. It presents the property as a contemporary luxury multiplex while retaining the name, location and heritage character of the historic Metro Cinema. The available material does not confirm the venue's current screen count or operating status.

• 2021

  Approval for fifth-floor constructionOther

  Background

  The venue continued to be developed after its Metro INOX relaunch.

  Action taken

  Approval was reportedly granted to build a fifth floor while the cinema remained operational.

  Source

• 2017

  Launch of the Metro INOX formatProduct launch

  Background

  INOX sought to combine modern multiplex facilities with the cultural and architectural value of the historic Metro property.

  Action taken

  The renovated venue was inaugurated on 29 November 2017 under the Metro INOX name.

  Aftermath

  The property was presented as a luxury multiplex retaining its heritage identity.

  Source

• 2016

  INOX acquires Metro cinemaM&A

  Background

  The historic cinema required a further transition to remain relevant within the modern multiplex market.

  Action taken

  INOX purchased the building and initiated another renovation and repositioning program.

  Aftermath

  The venue was relaunched as Metro INOX in November 2017 as a luxury multiplex.

  Source

• 2005

  Conversion from single screen to multiplexStrategy

  Background

  The large single-screen auditorium, reported to have 1,491 seats, became harder to fill as multiplexes expanded in Mumbai.

  Action taken

  The promoters closed the cinema for redevelopment and converted it into a six-screen multiplex while restoring elements of its Art Deco interiors.

  Aftermath

  The venue reopened in August 2006 and continued operating as a multiplex under successive names.

  Source

1. 1Metro INOX Cinemasen.wikipedia.org