Mumbai, August 10, 2026: The 1,005-sq-m plot of the defunct Alexandra Cinema in the Byculla-Nagpada area could soon lose its long-standing reservation for a cinema and be converted for residential use.
The proposal, based on a recommendation from the state Urban Development Department (UDD), is scheduled to come before the BMC Improvement Committee for approval on Wednesday.
The cinema, which permanently shut in 2007, has remained unused for nearly two decades. Once known for screening Hollywood action films and English reruns, Alexandra Cinema was among Mumbai’s old single-screen theatres that struggled to remain viable amid changing viewing preferences, mounting financial pressures and the rapid expansion of multiplexes.
Building Remains Unused Since 2007
The prolonged closure has also taken a heavy toll on the property. The cinema building has reportedly become severely dilapidated and structurally deteriorated, raising questions over its future use.
According to the proposal submitted by the BMC administration, the plot is currently reserved for a cinema under the Development Plan. The administration has now proposed deleting the reservation and permitting residential use following applications seeking a change in land use.
Wakf Board And Occupant Filed Applications
"Samir Gulamnabi Kazi, representing the Maharashtra State Wakf Board, approached then Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on February 25, 2026, seeking deletion of the cinema reservation. Separately, the plot’s occupant, Rafiq Patel, submitted an application to the BMC Development Planning Department on March 27, 2026," stated the proposal submitted to the Improvement Committee.
Following directions from the UDD, the BMC prepared its report and recommendations on April 6, 2026, with the prior approval of the Municipal Commissioner.
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Residential Use May Replace Cinema Reservation
If approved, the proposal could pave the way for residential development on the strategically located 1,005-sq-m plot, effectively ending its nearly century-old association with cinema use.
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