Paras cinema in New Delhi. Photo: Sandeep Saxena
Paras cinema in New Delhi. Photo: Sandeep Saxena © Sandeep Saxena

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Paras was then among a handful of cinema halls in South Delhi and easily the Capital's largest, though Vishal was later to clinch the top spot. In fact, in the entire Kalkaji area — all the classification of extensions, enclaves, etc. in the vicinity came about later — Paras lorded over it all, its majestic building which laid a lot of emphasis on breathing space, towering over buttonholes passing off for offices all around.

In a sad irony, Paras closed down in 2007, dwarfed physically and metaphorically by the multiplex challenge symbolised by Satyam next door in Nehru Place. However, life was blissful back in 1975. Santoshi Maa was in heaven and her believers could not have enough of her in cinema halls. Jai Santoshi Maa ran to packed houses for weeks on end. The hall, located not too far from the famous Kalkaji temple, often resembled more a place of worship as the faithful brought prasad with them to distribute during the film's interval. Women, otherwise not as conspicuous at halls without the menfolk of the family, came out in huge numbers with their thalis, conch shells, marigolds and the rest of the paraphernalia. The moment Usha or for that matter, Mahendra Kapoor launched into a bhajan in the film, there would be impromptu performances in the hall! Everybody would sing along with poet Pradeep's lyrics!

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Though it has been four years since the lights quietly went off at what was once New Delhi's biggest cinema, efforts are afoot to revive the hall. This time the mantra is no longer ‘the bigger the better'. Rather, it is going to be ‘small is beautiful' as the once grand Paras seeks a toehold on the cinematic map of the city with a 300-seater auditorium. The show will soon be back on public demand. Small and beautiful rather than majestic and magnificent in the new avatar.