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.
