Odeon Cinema’s lost glory could be restored

RCB official says they have sought expression of interest to renovate the building

RAWALPINDI: As the government looks at ways of putting state-owned buildings to public use and restoring the lost glory of old buildings, it seems that the century-old Odeon Cinema may too see its lost glory revived

The new revelations have also put to rest concerns that the historic building may be demolished to make way for either building a mall at the site or a new cinema.

The cinema was built in the Saddar area of Rawalpindi on 5.44 acres of land owned by the Lansdowne Trust. The Trust had been set up in 1891 by Sikh brothers Sardar Kirpal Singh Rai Bahadur and Sardar Sujan Singh Rai Bahadur.

Set up in the name of the British viceroy and India’s governor general from 1884 to 1894, Lord Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, the Marquees of Lansdowne, it was aimed at building and managing a cinema, a library and a park within the Rawalpindi Cantonment to provide educational and recreational facilities to the residents.

The cinema was built well into the 1900s and its structure is around 85-years-old. Its architecture was considered quite modern when it was first built, with its foundation stone set by the commandant of the second infantry on March 11, 1932.

The building’s architects had paid attention to ensure proper ventilation and access to sunlight in the building, given that Rawalpindi sweltered in the summer as much then as it does now.

The land also includes a library, the Shah Baloot park and some offices of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB).

Owing to poor care, the structure of the cinema deteriorated and coupled with poor returns from the cinema, the RCB shut it down around seven years ago and instead turned it into a warehouse for storing scrap recovered by the anti-encroachment department.

However, the library and the park are still operational and open to the public.

The library, which is supposed to be funded by the proceeds from the cinema per the trust deed, is in dire need of attention with its shelves requiring a refresh and update on the books it keeps.

Alternate use

After the cinema was shut down, the RCB has over the past few years mulled over various alternative uses for the land including building a multi-storey mall tentatively titled the Lansdowne Mega Mall in a bid to earn greater revenue for the board.

However, the plan reportedly failed because the construction of the mall would fall afoul of the land-utilisation clauses in the trust deed.

In its stead, the RCB had last year decided to build a modern cinema or multiplex on the site which would be in line with the trust’s purpose. There were reports that at least three firms had sent in their ’expression of interest’ letters to the RCB for design and feasibility reports.

Curiously, a cineplex called “Odeon” exists in the Kohistan Tower just a stone’s throw from the original Odeon Cinema.

Commenting on whether the board will construct a mega-mall, a multiplex or revive the cinema, as per the trust deed, RCB Spokesperson Qaiser Mehmood said that the board has decided to seek ‘expression of interest’ for restoring the historic building to its original state.

He further clarified that the RCB was no longer interested in demolishing the structure, rather would like to see it renovated and run as a cinema.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2019.