On November 7, it will be exactly two months since Mumbai’s iconic cinema complex, G7 multiplex, popularly known as Gaiety-Galaxy, shut its doors. What began as a minor dispute escalated after the police intervened. According to reports, during the course of their investigation, the police also examined the theatre’s documents and discovered that its license had not been renewed since 2021-22. As a result, the authorities directed the management to shut down the premises over non-compliance.
Many expected the theatre to resume operations within a week or two. However, what has astonished film lovers and industry members alike is that nearly two months have passed, and the issue remains unresolved.
Gaiety-Galaxy has always been synonymous with the quintessential big-screen experience, where audiences whistle, clap, cheer and hoot to their hearts’ content, especially during mass entertainers. Two such films, Drishyam The Conclusion and Jailer 2, were released last month, but sadly, neither could be screened at the iconic complex. The recently released Ramayana, too, missed out on a release at Gaiety-Galaxy. One can only imagine the frenzy that would have erupted in the auditoriums during the entry sequences of Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sunny Deol.
An industry insider commented, “Manoj Desai (executive director of G7 and also Maratha Mandir) and his team are trying their best to get the issues sorted. But since it’s a government-related procedure, it’s taking time and no one knows how much more time will be taken to get the issue sorted. Meanwhile, Manoj Desai is keeping the morale high of the employees. He is paying full salaries to his employees even though he has not earned a single paisa since September 7 from G7. The employees are grateful for getting their wages, especially in these festival times. But they miss the theatre and can’t wait to get back and serve the patrons.”
However, what has particularly astonished the industry insider, as well as several fans of Gaiety-Galaxy, is the complete lack of support from Bollywood celebrities.
The insider thundered, “So many actors learned that they became stars when they saw the films getting an insane response in Gaiety-Galaxy. They have visited the theatre to check theatre reactions and to promote their films and themselves. They also proudly shared videos of fans hooting, whistling and dancing during the film at Gaiety-Galaxy. And now, not a single one of them has posted anything about the theatre. Agreed that they’ll reason that the cinema complex is shut due to non-renewal of license and they fear being trolled over it. But at least they can write ‘Missing Gaiety-Galaxy’ or ‘hope the issues are resolved soon’. This may hopefully bring attention to the theatre and may speed up the process. Alas, there’s radio silence.”
Meanwhile, as the closure approaches the two-month mark, the uncertainty continues for the management, employees and countless moviegoers who have made Gaiety-Galaxy an inseparable part of their movie-watching experience.
About Gaiety-Galaxy
Gaiety-Galaxy was established on November 24, 1972. Ramesh Sippy’s much-loved Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) was the inaugural film. G7 multiplex originally started with just 3 theatres – Gaiety, Galaxy and Gemini. Gaiety and Galaxy are the biggest screens, consisting of a stall and balcony. While Gaiety is the bigger one, comprising nearly 1000 seats, Galaxy has around 800 seats. Gemini, with just one class, has around 240 seats.
In the late 90s, the management added 4 more theatres. Grace, the preview theatre, which is not open to the public, was constructed above the balcony of Gaiety. Gem, located next to Galaxy’s stall and Glamour, constructed between Galaxy’s stall and the balcony, and has just around 45 seats. And finally, there’s a 105-seater Gossip. This cinema hall also has a separate entrance at the back.
