New Delhi, July 17 - Those who mourn the closure of Delhi's charming single screen cinema halls, take heart. Many of these such as Odeon, Savitri, Kumar and Deep are set to open their gates to movie lovers in a new avatar.

Shut down two and a half years ago for renovation after 'mutual collaboration' with the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-owned Big cinemas, Odeon in central Delhi's busy Connaught Place area has been converted into a two-screen theatre.

The 'heritage' property is now called Big Cinemas Odeon. 'We are just waiting for the licences and most probably we'll reopen by the end of this month,' said Prabhjot Kaur, manager, theatres, Big Cinemas.

It had a seating capacity of 1,000 seats earlier, but now its two auditoriums can accommodate 592, making it the first multiplex in Connaught Place .

A property of well-known theatre owners, Sahni brothers, Odeon came into existence in 1939 and used to screen English movies. This is its second makeover, as it was first renovated in 1960 and inaugurated by then Indian vice president S. Radhakrishnan.

Many fondly remember that the first film to be screened after upgradation there was Robert Mulligan's 'Come September'.

Talking about the infrastructural changes, Kaur told IANS: 'The look from the outside will remain the same as earlier because the outlook of the building cannot be changed considering it's a heritage area. The interior of the building on the other hand has been reconstructed. And it took almost a year to do that.'

This is said to be Big Cinemas' first heritage cinema hall, which will also provide online and tele ticket booking facilities.

Considering the competition to survive the cinema-screening business, industry experts had predicted that the fate of single screens in the capital was in jeopardy if they did not upgrade. And so they did.

Another well-located hall that will be reborn is the DLF owned-Savitri cinema in Greater Kailash II in south Delhi.