Mumbai: Kamathipura Vikas Samiti Opposes BMC Proposal To Convert Defunct Alexandra Cinema Plot In Nagpada For Residential Use

On August 11, 2026, the Kamathipura Vikas Samiti, also known as the Kamathipura Development Committee, strongly opposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) plan to convert a defunct cinema plot into residential units. The committee, in a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, urged the civic body to retain the existing reservation status of the plot.

The committee, led by president Dhonthul Balnarsaya, pointed out that the state government, through the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), is currently undertaking a cluster redevelopment project across around 34 acres in Kamathipura. The committee argued that converting the Alexandra Theatre plot into residential units would deprive local residents of a crucial recreational and entertainment space once the redevelopment is complete.

The Alexandra Cinema, which permanently shut its doors in 2007, has remained unused for nearly two decades. Once a prominent single-screen theatre in Mumbai, it was famous for its Hollywood action films and English reruns. The decline of the theatre industry, coupled with financial pressures and the rise of multiplexes, led to the cinema's closure.

The committee's opposition to the BMC's proposal is based on the recommendation from the state Urban Development Department (UDD). If approved, the conversion proposal will be presented to the BMC Improvement Committee for final approval on Wednesday.