Mumbai Film Fest to open at newly-restored Royal Opera House

Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) The newly-restored Royal Opera Househere will play host to the opening ceremony of Jio MAMI FilmFestival on October 20 which will also mark the re-opening ofthe iconic building. The royal family of Gondal, owners of the venue, haveworked towards the revival and restoration of the buildingunder conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. Maharaja of Gondal Vikramsinhji bought the Opera House in1952 and his son Jyotendrasinhji Jadeja commissioned itsrestoration in 2009. "It gives me immense pleasure to see The Royal Opera Housebeing revived back to its original glory," Jyotendra said in astatement. "We are honoured to have our opening ceremony at the RoyalOpera House. We could not have asked for a better host- a hostwith a legacy that goes back over a hundred years," filmmakerKiran Rao, who is the festival’s chairperson, said. The heritage building, inaugurated in 1911 by King GeorgeV, reflects the grandness of Baroque architecture. One of the last standing Baroque buildings in Mumbai, theOpera House, with its long standing association with art,literature, theatre, music, has hosted operas and liveperformances of artists such as Bal Gandharva, PrithvirajKapoor, Dinanath Mangeshkar and Lata Mangeshkar. PTI BKSHD