Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur Overview

Raj Mandir Cinema was conceptualized in the late-1960s by Mehtab Chandra Golcha. The cinema was his dream project. He wanted to build a stylish and elegant Cinema Hall where viewers would get an experience as close to royalty as possible. Raj Mandir Cinema was created with the intention of crossing the boundary of traditional cinema and providing a complete experience along with the movies. Mehtab Chandra Golcha wanted his audiences to feel like royal guests who were invited to a palace to enjoy the regal architecture and entertainment. With Raj Mandir Cinema, a new era of cinema began in Jaipur.

The majestic architecture of the building consists of an artistic quality that gives a sense of mystery and illusion that each person visiting would find appealing. Raj Mandir Cinema is also entitled “Pride of Asia” for its magnificent architecture, the ambience and the surreal experience it provides to its audiences. The Cinema has a massive theatre that can accommodate over 300 people at a time. The seating structure is divided into four categories – the Pearl Seats, the Ruby Seats, the Emerald Seats and the Diamond Seats.

History of Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur

The then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shree Mohanlal Sukhadia, laid the foundation stone of the building in 1966. It took about a decade to complete the construction and, in 1976, Raj Mandir Cinema was inaugurated by Shri Hari Dev Joshi (Chief Minister, Rajasthan).
The cinema was designed by architect W. M. Namjoshi. He chose the Art Moderne Style of architecture which was quite contemporary for Jaipur at that time. a number of Bollywood movies have been premiered here ever since the theatre was created. The first movie that was premiered here was a Hindi Action Thriller Movie named Charas (1976, directed by Ramanand Sagar). At present, Raj Mandir Cinema is one of the largest halls in the continent and it is owned by Bhuramal Rajmal Surana.

Architecture of Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur

The architecture of the Raj Mandir Cinema in Jaipur resembles the shape of a meringue. The sight from the outside is magnificent. The entrance is spacious with parking space in the front. It leads to a large circular lobby furnished with carpeted flooring, inviting lights with chandeliers hanging from the ornated ceiling. A semi-circular staircase leads to the movie hall. The lobby also has some seating arrangement for the visitors to rest while they wait for the show. The walls, just as beautifully decorated as the ceilings, consist of wooden tiles, glass inlays and cornices. Delicate lamps, lights and detailing in pink, cream, blue and grey add to the artistic glory of the cinema.

The architecture of Raj Mandir Cinema comes under Art Moderne Style which was created in the 1930s but was seldom used in India. Since it is just one movie hall, it has only one gigantic screen with imperial velvet curtains. The interiors have a central air-conditioning system, mood lights, and air fresheners too. The air conditioning ducts run underneath the seats and have the air fresheners attached to provide an enchanting experience to the audiences as they watch the movie.