<p>The over one-and-a-half-century-old Esplanade Mansion – the majestic building where the seeds of the Indian film industry was sown – is closer to restoration.</p>.<p>The building located in the Kala Ghoda area of south Mumbai was earlier known as the Watson's Hotel.</p>.<p>The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to complete the formalities related to the restoration.</p>.<p>The BMC has now informed the court that the Heritage Committee would consider the proposal.</p>.<p>The building is listed as a Grade II–A heritage structure, and is now in a dilapidated state – and efforts to restore it has been underway for several years but the process is entangled in multiple legal issues.</p>.<p>It may be the earliest surviving example of cast-iron architecture in India.</p>.<p>The building is located along the "Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai" that has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, last month.</p>.<p>The building was listed in June 2005 on the list of "100 World Endangered Monuments" by the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based NGO.</p>.<p>Named after its original owner, John Watson, the building was fabricated in England and constructed on-site between 1860 and 1863. It was designed by the civil engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, who was also associated with the St Pancras Station in London. The external cast-iron frame closely resembles other high-profile 19th century buildings such as London's Crystal Palace.</p>.<p>The Watson's Hotel closed in 1960 and then it changed hands - and subsequently came to be known as Esplanade Mansion.</p>.<p>Way back on 7 July 1896, the Lumiere Brothers showcased six films here – marking the beginning of the Indian film industry.</p>.<p>The legendary American author and humorist Mark Twain stayed here and wrote about the city's crows he saw outside his balcony in Following the Equator.</p>.<p>Muhammad Ali Jinnah used to play pool in the hotel, to make a little extra money for himself.</p>.<p>According to a popular myth, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata decided to build the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower – located off Gateway of India -- after he was refused entry to this "whites only" place.</p>.<p>Sir Richard Francis Burton, the British explorer and geographer and writer, who wrote The Kamasutra of Vatsyayana, too had stayed here in 1876.</p>.<p>It also finds mention in the writings of Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book, Kim and several other novels.</p>
<p>The over one-and-a-half-century-old Esplanade Mansion – the majestic building where the seeds of the Indian film industry was sown – is closer to restoration.</p>.<p>The building located in the Kala Ghoda area of south Mumbai was earlier known as the Watson's Hotel.</p>.<p>The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to complete the formalities related to the restoration.</p>.<p>The BMC has now informed the court that the Heritage Committee would consider the proposal.</p>.<p>The building is listed as a Grade II–A heritage structure, and is now in a dilapidated state – and efforts to restore it has been underway for several years but the process is entangled in multiple legal issues.</p>.<p>It may be the earliest surviving example of cast-iron architecture in India.</p>.<p>The building is located along the "Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai" that has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, last month.</p>.<p>The building was listed in June 2005 on the list of "100 World Endangered Monuments" by the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based NGO.</p>.<p>Named after its original owner, John Watson, the building was fabricated in England and constructed on-site between 1860 and 1863. It was designed by the civil engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, who was also associated with the St Pancras Station in London. The external cast-iron frame closely resembles other high-profile 19th century buildings such as London's Crystal Palace.</p>.<p>The Watson's Hotel closed in 1960 and then it changed hands - and subsequently came to be known as Esplanade Mansion.</p>.<p>Way back on 7 July 1896, the Lumiere Brothers showcased six films here – marking the beginning of the Indian film industry.</p>.<p>The legendary American author and humorist Mark Twain stayed here and wrote about the city's crows he saw outside his balcony in Following the Equator.</p>.<p>Muhammad Ali Jinnah used to play pool in the hotel, to make a little extra money for himself.</p>.<p>According to a popular myth, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata decided to build the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower – located off Gateway of India -- after he was refused entry to this "whites only" place.</p>.<p>Sir Richard Francis Burton, the British explorer and geographer and writer, who wrote The Kamasutra of Vatsyayana, too had stayed here in 1876.</p>.<p>It also finds mention in the writings of Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book, Kim and several other novels.</p>
