Mumbai: Following an FIR registered by the Bandra police against the management and owner of the iconic Gaiety Galaxy, DCP (West Zone-2) Mohit Garg said action was taken after police learnt that management had violated Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulation) Rules and had not renewed the licence for five years.

The FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 223 for disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant.

Under the rules, cinema halls and public performance venues receive a permanent operating permit, often called Form C, valid for one year. Annual renewal requires payment of fees of about Rs 2,000 and inspections and safety clearances, including a fire safety NOC, structural stability certificate, electrical and PWD clearances, and approval from Mumbai Police's local licensing branch. Failure to pay fees or obtain certification can result in immediate suspension of shows.

Section 223 provides for up to six months' simple imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 2,500 if disobedience causes or risks obstruction, annoyance or injury to lawfully employed persons. If it causes or risks danger to human life, health or safety, punishment may extend to one year and a Rs 5,000 fine.

Co-owner Manoj Desai disputed the claim in comments to an online news outlet, saying burnt or damaged theatre cables had caused the shutdown rather than a licensing dispute. He did not respond to TOI's repeated calls and text messages on Monday.

Gaiety Galaxy, opened in 1972, is a prominent single-location Mumbai cinema with longstanding links to Bollywood audiences.

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Moviegoers were shocked to learn on Monday that Bandra’s iconic G7 Multiplex, commonly referred to as the Gaiety-Galaxy cinema complex, on 30th Road had been shut by the Mumbai Police’s Special Branch after the previous day’s last show, with about 12 small notices pasted to the walls of the premises announcing the closure. The messages read in Marathi, “This cinema hall has not renewed its licence. Hence, further shows are cancelled.”

According to Bandra police sources, karyakartas from a political organisation had arrived at the theatre and created a ruckus over the non-premiere of the devotional superhit Hanuman Ansh. Following repeated arguments, the karyakartas allegedly tore down posters of Mirzapur The Movie, after which the police were called. After reaching the theatre, the police registered a case against those involved.

As part of the procedure, the police also checked the theatre’s documents and found that its licence had not been renewed since 2021-22. Therefore, the police directed the theatre management to shut the premises for non-compliance.

“Given that the theatre did not have a valid licence, we ordered the management to shut it down immediately,” a senior police official told this newspaper. Another senior officer told mid-day, “All theatres need an entertainment licence to function. It is issued by the Mumbai Police Headquarters near Crawford Market in Fort. Gaiety-Galaxy’s licence had not been renewed since 2021-22, which is why a notice was served.”

Asked about the informal appearance of the notices posted on the walls of the theatre, the official said, “We only issued the formal notice to the theatre; we are not the ones who have put the notices on the walls. The management of the theatre has put those up.”

Manoj Desai, the executive director of G7 Multiplex, told mid-day, “Some of the cables in the theatre got burnt, so we need to replace them before we can resume our shows. We are arranging for new cables from Lohar Chawl in South Mumbai, and until the work is completed, the screens will remain shut. The timing is certainly unfortunate, especially with the kind of films currently playing, but maintenance of the screens is paramount. We have to ensure that everything is functioning properly and safely before we reopen. It is purely a technical shutdown and nothing more than that.”

Girish Wankhede, trade analyst, told mid-day, “Gaiety-Galaxy has around seven screens, so the loss can be quite substantial. On an average, one screen can do around 1 to 1.5 lakh from a show, of which the cinema’s share would be roughly 50,000. So, for a day, you are looking at a loss of around 2.5 lakh per screen. Across seven screens, that can work out to around Rs 17 to Rs 18 lakh a day, and if the shutdown continues for seven days, you are looking at a loss of over Rs 1 crore. What makes this particularly unfortunate is the timing. It has happened at a bad time of the week, when films like Toxic and Mirzapur The Movie, which are very mass-oriented, are playing. Gaiety is the kind of cinema where these over-the-top potboilers and mass films draw a strong crowd, so the owner is losing out on an important period of business.”

While news of the theatre closing slowly spread via word of mouth and the internet, a few people who were clueless showed up to the theatre around noon on Monday.

Mandira Das, who had come from Bhayander with her husband and their son, said, “I had checked the ticket booking platforms before leaving from my home, but it wasn’t showing any available shows, so I thought it was a glitch. But when I showed up here and saw the building and the street in front of it was so silent, I realised something was off, and then I saw the notice which was posted on the walls.”

Das and her family have a very specific ritual while going to the theatre in Bandra. She explained, “Most of the fancy multiplexes have strict rules about kids and A-rated movies, and we wanted to watch Mirzapur, so we came here to our go-to theatre. We usually buy some fast food, sneak it in, and enjoy the movie. Afterwards, we go to Bandstand to enjoy the breeze, but today our plans have been derailed. I just hope they resolve the issue soon.”

A Bandra resident who had been living in the area for years now, Rohinton Polishwala, said, “Gaiety-Galaxy is a very strong memory for me from my childhood. I used to go there often till 12 or so years ago. Now that I have a family and everything, we prefer PVR; but back in the day, the theatre was an essential part of any Bandra resident’s life. I hope that they are back in business soon.”

G7 Multiplex started with three theatres — Gaiety, Galaxy, and Gemini. The two biggest screens, Gaiety and Galaxy, have a combined capacity of around 1800 seats.

In the late 1990s, four more theatres were added to the complex — Grace (a preview theatre), Gem (next to Galaxy's stall), Glamour (between Galaxy's stall and balcony), and Gossip, which has a separate entrance at the back.

Inputs by Aishwarya Iyer and Mohar Basu