The Waldorf

The Waldorf

A busy local picture house before WWII, the Waldorf had a second life under the stewardship of Avtar Singh Randhawa and his family in the 1970s.

Avtar welcomed many South Asian stars to the Waldorf and offered a vital space for the local community. He in turn brought his teenage sons Raj and Jodi into the family business, until the arrival of VHS killed off the Waldorf along with many other local cinemas. The building has been a Hindu temple ever since.

For a very special event on the 31 July 2022, the Waldorf became a cinema again forty years after it closed down. The Randhawa family presented the 1977 classic Amar Akbar Anthony – a film about three brothers separated at birth.

Photographs from the Waldorf Revival event on 31 July 2022, taken by Katja Ogrin.

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We’d love to hear about your film-going experiences in Birmingham. From memories of amazing screenings or communal experiences, to grand days out at the pictures or more personal recollections. How has visiting the cinema shaped your life, and your experience of our city?

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