“Novelty, no more?”

"Novelty, no more?” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, November 21, 2018) mentions that the Elite Cinema in Calcutta was owned by Sohrab Modi. It was never owned by my uncle Sohrab but always by my father Keki Modi who was his younger brother and also owned the Minerva Cinema, Calcutta which unfortunately was taken over by the Municipal Corporation and finally demolished... Sad but true.
The Elite in Calcutta is still in the family and now belongs to my sister Maxie Cooper (née Modi).
ROOSI MODI
roosimodi@gmail.com

"Novelty, no more” by Rusi Sorabji (Parsiana, October 7, 2018) vividly speaks of a nearly century old theater in Delhi that is probably making way for a mall very soon.
The good news is that the structure hasn’t been demolished yet. So I was wondering if I could take a chance based on this piece that makes a very passionate and eloquent appeal and send some feelers to Arvind Kejriwal and the backroom boys of the Aam Aadmi Party. If it piques their interest in some manner (and considering they seem to be responsive from whatever little interactions I have had with them), maybe they will feel compelled enough to intervene and save this lovely space as a heritage precinct. I am actually under no illusion at all that this can be pulled off. But then what do we have to lose in any case?
VISTASP HODIWALA
vistasphodiwala@gmail.com