India, May 17 -- When Delite Cinema opened on Asaf Ali Road on April 30, 1954, it wasn't just a place to watch films - it was a statement. With its curved entrance, soaring vertical bands, and tripartite Deco facade, Delite wasn't only the tallest building in Delhi at the time, it was the boldest. It was also the only air-conditioned cinema in the city - a marvel of both India's post-Independence sense of architecture and aspiration. Its founder, Brij Mohan Lal Raizada, wasn't simply setting up a business. He was responding to a call. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had urged the Capital to cultivate its own modern landmarks - expressions of a young, self-assured republic. Raizada offered Delite: a place where glamour, design, and nationali...