Bollywood is going through a great phase at present. So many different kinds of subjects are being attempted and are getting commercial success. Masala films continue to do well and the era of single screens, whistles, claps et al is very much thriving, albeit only in certain parts of the country. But 10 years ago, things were gloomy for the industry. The films were getting success but there used to vast periods of drought in between two hit films. Also, while footfalls in multiplexes were steady, in single screens, it was poor. The multiplex strike of April-June 2009 had further crippled the business of single screen cinemas.

But then came Wanted, which ushered in a new era. In producer Boney Kapoor’s words, “It brought back the concept of hero, something which was in vogue years back when Amitabh Bachchan used to play such characters. Somehow such cinema had become extinct.” Superstar Salman Khan played the lead role who, just like the industry, was also going through a tough time. Wanted put him back in the big league. Till today, he’s following the ‘Wanted’ formula of making mass-friendly, action entertainers (and with him doing away with his shirt in the finale fight) and now not just single screens but even multiplexes are lapping it up.

10 months before Wanted, Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini was also an attempt in reviving the testosterone-driven cinema. But it was not a complete action film and had other elements too. Wanted, meanwhile, had action in adequate doses and catered to the single-screen audiences who went crazy over the film and how. On the joyous occasion of Wanted’s 10th anniversary, we go down memory lane and bring back some not-so-known trivia about the film, including how Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan emerged as an angel for producer Boney Kapoor in times of crisis:

BEFORE RELEASE:

1. Wanted was earlier titled Wanted: Dead Or Alive. The makers were in favour of simply Wanted as the film’s title. However, a producer down South had the rights who asked for a huge amount of money to part with the title. According to unconfirmed reports, it was Salman Khan who paid for the title from his own pocket.

2. Not just Salman, but even his father Salim Khan made a major contribution to the film. The B4U group had filed a case against Boney Kapoor in the High Court and demanded a stay on its release. In September 2006, Boney had signed a MoU with B4U for a joint venture for which the latter had extended an advance of Rs. 10 crore to acquire rights of the former’s five films. The price of these films wasn’t fixed and moreover, B4U and Boney couldn’t reach an understanding. Meanwhile, Boney Kapoor was in a debt trap and in the absence of any funds from B4U, he joined hands with Sahara One Motion Pictures and produced Wanted. B4U hence moved the High Court which upheld that Boney can’t create third party rights to his films. It also directed him to furnish Rs. 10 crore as security deposit. Fearing that Wanted’s release may suffer, Boney moved the Supreme Court which allowed the film to release on its scheduled date. But it was told to deposit Rs. 2 crore within a week. Raising Rs. 2 crore was a difficult task for Boney and this is when Salim Khan stepped in. He immediately lent him Rs. 1 crore. Boney was moved to tears at this gesture. Salim saab however felt it was the most apt thing to do and stated, “I know people who have crores lying in Swiss banks and benaami accounts but they will not help you with even a lakh when it comes to the crunch. In fact, if you tell someone that you are looking for monetary help, that is the surest way of driving them away from your life. I think most of us are born selfish.”

3. Wanted began the trend of having Eid releases for Salman Khan. Barring 2013, Salman has had a release on this festival every year from 2009 to 2019 and is also scheduled to have a film coming on Eid 2020 as well. But it’ll be interesting to know that initially, Wanted was to arrive much earlier. The multiplex strike pushed it ahead, just like most films. Till April 2009, Wanted was to hit screens on July 3 and it was also to clash with Dulha Mil Gaya, which featured Shah Rukh Khan in a supporting role. Then it was moved to August 7. Later it got a release on September 18, 2 days before Ramzan Eid. The teaser was released with Love Aaj Kal, that came out on July 31.

4. Another minor jolt suffered by Boney Kapoor is when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave the film an adults-only certificate. Several industry insiders, trade and even audience were left shocked since the film had violence but it was not too gory either. There were fears that it might restrict the film’s appeal. Even Salman in many interviews expressed his disagreement with Wanted’s ‘A’ rating.

5. Salman Khan promoted the film extensively. From the promotions itself, it was evident that Salman’s ‘re-birth’ has happened with Wanted. Even in the songs, he seemed in top form after a long time. His dance steps in ‘Mera Hi Jalwa’ was quite appreciated. He said in an interview, “It’s really amazing to see the dance steps I have done. I can’t believe that it’s me in the song, dancing like this, yakeen hi nahin hota ki aisa bhi kuch ho sakta hai!”

6. Salman Khan also used his game show on television, ‘Dus Ka Dum’ to promote Wanted. In a rare move, Boney Kapoor’s wife, the late Sridevi made an appearance in the memorable episode along with Boney, director Prabhudheva and actress Ayesha Takia. Without Sridevi’s knowledge, Salman sneaked in two of her paintings and presented in front of the audiences. Sridevi surprised one and all when she said that for one of the paintings, she used the tips given by Salman. What also made this episode special is that Boney and Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi, who is now also an actress, was present in the audiences’ section and Salman lovingly addressed her and her younger sister Khushi as two other beautiful creations of Sridevi.



AFTER RELEASE:

1. Wanted released in 1400 screens and its first day collections stood at Rs. 5.10 crore. It was the ninth biggest opener of the year but emerged as the fourth biggest grosser of 2009 as it collected Rs. 60.24 crore in its lifetime.

2. It was the massiest film of 2009 and after a long time, such a film had come in cinemas. As a result, his traditional fan base was out in full force. Around 70% of business in the first week was done in single screens, as per a report.

3. In Mumbai, Ankur cinema in Govandi had to paint a ‘Housefull’ board because they didn’t have one. Theatres in South Mumbai like Liberty and New Empire had to dig out the ‘Housefull’ board from their storage rooms as they didn’t need them for a long time. The scenario was similar in many single screens across the country.

4. Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 Multiplex in Mumbai, popularly called as Gaiety-Galaxy cinema complex, was heard saying, "Wanted has got the film industry and also the single screen cinemas out of the ICU. The film has got 100 per cent collections till now and it is only going to get better."

5. Boney Kapoor reported that in Rishi theatre in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, a gun firing took place between two sections of Salman Khan fans. It led to a riot-like situation and police had to resort to firing outside the theatre to disperse the crowd.

6. In Paras cinema in Jaipur, the cops had to request the theatre management to sell 200 tickets less to keep the audience in control.

7. In the biggest theatre in Hubli, Karnataka, almost 5,000 people gathered outside to buy tickets.

8. Unlike the norm, Wanted was released in all 3 theatres in Kanpur and police protection was adequately provided.

A lot of films’s tenth, twentieth, twenty fifth anniversaries are celebrated nowadays and many of these at times seem unnecessary. However, Wanted deserves to be feted as it was the first step in making our industry bigger and better. Today, most of the films in the Rs. 200 and Rs. 300 crore club belong to the action masala genre. Hence, Wanted is responsible for opening the eyes of the producers that such films are not dead, as believed then by many, and that they’ll always have an audience. May we have many such pan-India flicks in the future too!

With the shutting down of New Empire, one of the few surviving Art Deco style single screen cinemas in the city, historians and film buffs remember the glory days and why these must be salvaged, somehow…
Dhara Vora (MID-DAY; March 31, 2014)

Earlier top film stars would be hailed as jubilee stars; today it’s all about entering the `200- crore club. This change in focus from quality to quantity transcends through several elements of Indian cinema — from the cost of samosas to the number of screens in each multiplex. While the latter might have made cinema more accessible, it has proved to be dead ringers for single-screen cinema halls. While some struggle to survive, others adapt and many have shut down.

Recently, the city bid adieu to New Empire cinema hall near CST station. City history lovers and architects might cry over the loss of this gem, though such is the apathy towards these venues that inspite of being shut for a week, no one noticed when the curtains came down, one last time.

Cinema, an art
City historian Deepak Rao says, “Going to the cinema hall would be an experience and an art earlier — from booking tickets in advance to waiting for the next big Western film to release. From the food to the hall, everything contributed to the feel.”

Film critic and city historian Rafique Baghdadi puts things into perspective: “Manto had once said, ‘If you really want to know about the condition of a place, you should check the state of its bathroom’. And, New Empire was a very well-kept and a lovely looking theatre. During my college days, the morning shows would usually be English films that were packed. They would even have broth on the menu at the food section.”

Art Deco
The 1,000-seater theatre was made in the then- prevalent Art Deco style of architecture, and was one of Mumbai’s oldest single- screen cinema halls. Regal opened in 1933, Metro in 1938, Liberty in 1949, while New Empire originally opened in 1908 as a live theatre where you could even watch plays. It was renovated later in the Art Deco style in 1937.

Fritz von Drieberg of John Roberts and Company designed the theatre. “The original structure was made in the Baroque style by architect Arthur Payne with the interiors done by O’Connor and Gerard. It was the first theatre in Asia to have a cantilevered balcony. It opened with a grand performance by Batliwala and Company,” says Baghdadi.

Rao recalls the time when New Empire also screened World Boxing Championships before the movies, which drew in huge crowds. Apart from screening English movies it also once screened a French film.

Virat A Singh (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2014)

On Friday, March, 21, when several theatres across Mumbai were busy preparing for new box office releases, the curtains were brought down forever at one of the city's oldest theatres and a famous landmark of south Mumbai - the New Empire Cinema.

In its heyday, the theatre's foyer was a hub of activity, with a balcony seat costing not more than Rs 150. On Friday morning, however, bar a few voices of protest from the dejected staff, the theatre bore a deserted look with ironically, a poster of the dubbed Hollywood film '300 - Rise Of An Empire', fluttering in the gentle breeze.

Pasted on the walls and gates of the theatre run by Rumanek Estates Pvt Ltd was a message of doom that said, "Due to financial losses, debts, as well as superior competition, the management is unable to continue running New Empire Theatre. Hence it hereby declares the permanent and irrevocable closure."

In happier times, the theatre ranked among the very best in the city, popular for the unforgettable Hollywood films it screened. In fact, from the 1960s to the late 80s, movie buffs recall watching films such as Love Story, North To Alaska, Around The World In 80 Days and scores of other hits there.

However, gradually the quality of films dropped, and there even came a time when the theatre got identified with the sleazy films it screened. In the last couple of years, however, the scene changed and the theatre began screening more of Bollywood, as well as Hollywood movies dubbed in regional languages.

It was on February 21, 1908 that the place opened as a live theatre. Seating was provided for an audience of 1,000, in orchestra stalls, circle and gallery levels. There were boxes with additional accommodation, and it had a large stage along with a domed ceiling. It was said to be the first theatre in Asia to be constructed with a cantilevered balcony, and historians claim its interiors still are one of the finest Art Deco style interiors in the city.

In 1937, it was re-named New Empire Cinema, and it underwent major renovations in 1996.

Reflecting on the end of an era, Burge Cooper, 65, the owner of New Empire, said, "It's been almost a week since we shut down. We thought that once journalists got to know, many would flock here with queries.... others would question us about the decision. But, it seems, maybe we are not that famous anymore. Or, no one bothers about single screen theatres in this age of multiplexes."

On a more serious note, Cooper said, "It's the mounting losses that did us in. We reached a point where nothing could be done. We've been incurring losses for almost seven years. In fact, the accumulated losses exceed Rs 2.58 crore, apart from other debts. There's just no hope of recovering the losses by exhibiting films."

Cooper said they decided to down shutters this month as losses would only multiply with the IPL season and vacations ahead, and there wasn't any point in holding back the inevitable. Also, the fact that four to five theatres, some with more than four screens, exist in the vicinity, further contributed to the decision.

According to Cooper, running a single screen theatre incurred huge expenditure, especially when the number of people watching the films was few. "The theatre has 581 seats, so if we ran a film with only 20 to 50 people present, we still had to keep the air-conditioners on, we had to employ a full staff, and take care of other expenses too. Besides, you must also consider that 45 per cent of the ticket price went towards entertainment tax," Cooper explained.

"Sure, we did explore every avenue to break even. For instance, we contemplated reducing the number of seats and providing more facilities to attract more patrons. But nothing seemed feasible," Cooper lamented.

It was Cooper's father-in-law Rusi Modi, who took over the theatre in 1948. Manager C P Umrekar, who has been working there for almost 40 years, could barely mask his nostalgia and pain over the closure. "This was a drama theatre and later converted into a film theatre. It was extremely popular with several Bollywood personalities, but those were times when there were just four or five theatres in entire Mumbai," Umrekar recalled.

"Even in the late 90s the situation wasn't so bad, but post 2002 the situation changed. That's what forced several single screen theatres to call it quits," said Umrekar.