In the 1990s, with the growing popularity of cable television, cinema houses in Mumbai began to close down due to a lack of clientele.

On 21 October 2016, after a gap of 23 years, Royal Opera House hosted performance of Bombay-born British soprano Patricia Rozario and her husband, pianist Mark Troop.

The Royal Opera House was conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann, a famous entertainer from Calcutta, and Jehangir Framji Karaka, who headed a coal brokers’ firm.

Subsequently, it was in a dilapidated condition but in March 2008 the Maharashtra Government agencies announced that they were undertaking conservation measures to restore the heritage structure to its original grandeur.

[2][3][8] The Opera House is built in a mixed classical design featuring a blend of European and Indian architectural styles.

The design was conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann, an entertainer from Kolkata and his partner Jehangir Framji Karaka, who was the head of a firm of coal brokers.

At the main entrance, the dome is segmented into eight different parts "as a tribute to poets, dramatists, novelists, literati and people from art and culture".

The acoustics were of the opera house were created by shaping the ceiling in a manner that permitted distinct audibility that allowed the audience seated in the gallery to hear every word or song from the stage.

The entertainment extravaganza at the opera house was started by American magician Raymond followed by several premieres of famous Hindi movies.

[13] The opera house screened not only premieres of Hindi movies but also live theatre performances by the French production Pathé, Prithviraj Kapoor, and Marathi stalwarts like Bal Gandharva and Dinanath Mangeshkar.

With these two basic aspects in view, the planning dictum followed was that: The historicity of the building and its architecture will be lost if it is not used as a theatre and there should not be a change of user.The initial plan proposed was to convert a part of the open plot to be developed commercially to generate funds, which could self sustain the expenditure involved in the restoration and maintenance of the existing heritage building.

The MUHCC had already been entrusted with the task of preparing plans for restoration of the opera house as it was categorised as a Grade II Heritage Structure.

[7][11] In January 2013, Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) approved the plans of the Gondal family to restore and revamp the buildings interiors.