Hyderabad, Feb. 25 -- Unlike today when movies can be streamed with a tap on a phone or watched in plush multiplexes, there was a time when going to the cinema was an event- crowds used to line up outside the ticket windows, eager for the latest blockbuster. This was the time when single-screen cinemas stood as the heart of Hyderabad's movie culture. Yakut Mahal Deluxe, nestled in the busy lanes of Yakuthpura, is one such relic from that golden age. Built in the pre-independence era, it wasn't just a place to watch films- it was where stories came alive on the big screen, under the flickering glow of vintage projectors and the cheers of a captivated audience.

Even today, in a world of multiplexes and streaming platforms, Yakut Mahal refu...