The Siri Fort Auditorium was the brainchild of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who wanted it to be the cultural hub in South Delhi. The auditorium forms part of the Asiad village that came up as part of the 9th Asian Games. It was meant to entertain the visiting sports persons and team management. Today, it is among the most sought-after venues for all sort of cultural activities in the capital, from film festivals to school annual day functions, its 2,000 seater main auditorium being the biggest draw.

A large complex, it houses three auditoriums and upscale restaurants such as Tonic Bar & Lounge, Angeethi, Chopsticks and Colour and Spice. With a collective seating capacity of 2565, it is a huge complex by any standards. Think about it -- an 82x40 feet stage (of Auditorium I) -- is big enough to host historical and mythological plays that need props and lavish sets. An example would be the Bobby Bedi produced epic play Karna, Warrior of the Sun, currently on at the auditorium. While the complex is under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, the day-to-day affairs are handled by Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF).