Cinemas of India

Beautiful, haunting photographs of abandoned cinemas in India. The ultimate visual reference from skilled photographers.

An outstanding photographic report which draws attention to the often dramatic fate of India's abandoned heritage and its frequently forgotten beauty.

In India, large movie theatres are shutting down one after another. Crushed by the rise of multiplexes and undermined by destructive urban policies, thousands of single-screen cinemas have closed their doors, leaving behind torn seats, silent projectors, and the memories of a popular, vibrant, and lively cinema culture.

For nearly 20 years, Simon Edelstein and Elisabeth Christeler travelled across India in search of these abandoned or still-standing venues. Faded façades, creaking ticket booths, drowsy spectators dozing in the heat... Through their lens, we discover a cinephile India - exuberant and deeply human— like a final screening before extinction.