The iconic Globe Cinema reopens on Tuesday, two decades after it shut down.

The theatre opens as a two-screen plex, with a seating capacity of 239 and 196.

At the time of closing down in 2004, Globe was screening Titanic, the 1997 blockbuster film by James Cameron that won 11 Oscars.

When it reopens on Tuesday, Globe will screen Tekka, a Bengali film directed by Srijit Mukherjee and the superhit Hindi horror-comedy, Stree 2.

The resurrection of Globe, which introduced a large section of Calcuttans to the world of Hollywood films, has received a shoutout from many.

“Globe is Back! Opened in 1827 as Old Opera House, turned into Globe Cinema in 1906, closed in 2004 with Titanic, opened in October 2024 with the Bengali film, Tekka,” quizmaster-turned-politician Derek O’Brien wrote on Facebook.

Film distributor Satadeep Saha, the owner of Ajanta cinema in Behala, has taken the property on lease.

“Like countless others, Globe means nostalgia for me. I have fond memories of watching Independence Day at Globe. I want to revive the old legacy of this iconic theatre. We plan to screen English films alongside Bengali and Hindi fare,” said Saha.

This heritage hall had been built exclusively as an opera house before it was converted into a cinema for the screening of Hollywood releases. Exceptions were made for Satyajit Ray movies and it also served as a venue for Calcutta film festivals.

During World War II, the theatre entertained Allied troops stationed in Calcutta.

Film distributor Arijit Dutta of Priya Entertainment took Globe on lease from 2000 to 2006.

The building that once housed Globe Cinema was till recently a shopping arcade. The ground and first floors still house retail outlets. The theatre is on the second floor.

With a cosy bar, plush carpets, refreshments and smoking rooms, Globe introduced a large section of Calcuttans to Hollywood classics.

Along with Metro, Elite, Minerva, New Empire and Light House, Globe represented a Calcutta known for its cosmopolitan nature, said movie lovers.

“I have seen many films at Globe. I would go with my parents. It was very well maintained. Those great musicals like The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins and many other great films were shown at Globe,” said Ashoke Viswanathan, award-winning filmmaker and faculty member at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute.

“Hollywood films, Hollywood actors and the Hollywood culture were very much part of Calcutta’s discussion. The 1960s were a very lively period with tectonic events like the Vietnam War, man landing on the Moon, the Hippie cult, the Naxalite movement and the run-up to the Bangladesh Liberation War. That period was culturally very alive. Globe, like Park Street, was very much part of that cultural scene.”

Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, former professor of film studies at Jadavpur University, said: “Globe represented a Calcutta that was more cosmopolitan than any other
Indian city.”

“Globe was the den of Hollywood war movies like The Longest Day and The Guns of Navarone. Digital cinema was yet to arrive. Watching a film like Lawrence of Arabia on a panoramic screen, that shot of the desert would create an unforgettable memory in us,” he said.

A series of hawkers, selling everything from momos to bhelpuri, have set up shop on the road leading to the entrance to the Globe building, making it narrower than it actually is.

Parking still remains a nightmare.

But at a time single-screen theatres have their back against the wall and are shutting shop one after another, the comeback of Globe is like a breath of fresh air.

Saha is optimistic.

“The hall is being reopened as SSR Globe Cinemas. We will use 2K projectors and a state-of-the-art sound system. The experience for the movie-goers will be top-notch,” hesaid.