Bombay superstar

 BOMBAY SUPERSTAR

I always knew about the existence of a BBC documentary about Rajesh Khanna but could only watch it yesterday, ironically one day prior to the great superstar's death anniversary. Let me make it clear that this blog entry isn't about Khanna...it is about the 49.54 minutes long documentary called 'Bombay Superstar'. It was part of the BBC2's Man Alive series which ran from 1965 to 1981. This episode was presented by documentary maker and author Jack Pizzey and was aired in 1973. 

The documentary is available on youtube. It is converted from a VHS so quality is not  very good but watchable nevertheless. 

Here is the link: Bombay Superstar

           I don't understand why but the film starts with Shashi Kapoor and it is not clear what he is saying. Then there is 1.23 minutes long video montage of hindi film trailers and clippings. Again, I do not understand the purpose of it. And now the actual documentary "Bombay Superstar" begins. The documentary maker and the people behind it are either misinformed or careless. This becomes clear at the very beginning of the film when the narrator says that in India, one film is released every day. Yes, you read it correct..every day!!! Without being too harsh on the BBC reporter, he not only seems but even sounds like Jack out of the box who knows virtually little about the Bombay film industry why else would BBC air the documentary without rectifying the obvious errors like one hindi film is released daily in Bombay just as they exaggerate that stars are so popular that they don't even have their name on the posters or billboards. Surprising nobody told BBC or their journo that Rajesh Khanna was back then known as The Phenomenon and Not just a Superstar. Also, in the entire film the maker speaks to only two fans, two girls smitten by their beloved star. And that too only one question asked, "why do you want to see Rajesh Khanna?". And that's about it for a fan's perspective of the superstar. Then it is shown that Rajesh Khanna did not keep appointment for an interview with the BBC team for five times. Well that is true but even when Jack Pizzey did get an audience with Khanna, all he could extract from the superstar is 4 minutes and 8 seconds long conversation. I say not good for a 49.58 minutes long film and certainly not good for a BBC journalist because a good documentary maker should be able to present the subject in detail. It is very clear that Pizzey has not succeeded in making Khanna talk much. Also, the Mumtaz-Devyani Chaubal tiff was unnecessary and out of context as the documentary is about Rajesh Khanna. I am not trying to review this documentary but it could have been much better.

 

I fail to understand the purpose of this documentary as it neither shows the story of a boy who made it big after winning a talent hunt contest nor it depicts the phenomenon called Rajesh Khanna. Anything that the film captured is the beginning of the end of a Superstar, that too very superficially. But all said and done keeping in mind this documentary was shot in 1973 when Khanna was still at his peak and the tsunami of flops was yet to virtually drown Khanna's career. This documentary does have a lot of nostalgia and is worth viewing once even almost 40 plus years down the line. The film contains Khanna's wedding footage as well. His wedding to Dimple Kapadia that stunned the country. The film also has some masala served by Devyani Chaubal, the feisty journalist of the '70s. The documentary ends with Khanna looking out of his bedroom window at the gathered crowd of fans and then lighting a cigarette. God Give Eternal Peace to Rajesh Khanna the Bombay Superstar!!!

Star Warriors

STAR WARRIORS

Many of the world's most recognizable names and faces answered the call to serve during the World Wars. Some were servicemen before they were celebrities, but a few did put their lucrative careers on hold to moonlight as soldiers and underground resistance fighters.

Ronald Colman

Ronald Colman

One of the few stars to successfully transition from       

 the silent movie era to sound, Colman was among the

 first members of the Territorial Army fighting in 

World War I. He was seriously wounded in the 

Battle of Messines, which gave him a limp that he 

would attempt to hide throughout the rest of his

 acting career.

Sir Alec Guinness

Sir Alec Guinness

A trained thespian, Guinness put his theatre career on hold in 1939 to join the Royal Navy. Guinness was piloting infantry landing craft  in the Mediterranean – a sound basis for training ace pilot Luke Skywalker and for playing the martinet Colonel Nicholson in the unforgettable Bridge on the River Kwai.

Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks

Brooks is known as the writer-director behind the comedies Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. But before that, he served in 1104^th Engineer Combat Battalion, a unit that braved sniper fire to clear blocked roads and deactivate landmines in World War II.

Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart was a bona fide movie star before World War II. In early 1941, Stewart became one of the first Hollywood stars to enter the armed forces when he joined the Army Air Corps and eventually became a squadron commander in the 445^th Bombardment Group in England.

Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart

AFI’s greatest movie star of all time was a wild teenager who joined the US Navy, excited to be a part of World War I. According to some accounts, his iconic scar and lisp were the result of shrapnel when his ship was shelled.

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

He joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman in 1958 and was sent to Osan Air Base in South Korea. It was there that Norris acquired the nickname Chuck and began his training in Tang Soo Do (Tangsudo), an interest that led to black belts in that art and the founding of the Chun Kuk Do (Universal Way) form. When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve as an AP at March Air Force Base in California.  

Source: TImes of India

CHITRAGUPTA: the under-rated maestro of Golden Era

          Music lovers of the golden era of hindi film music (i.e. 1950s & 60s) fondly remember Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, and S D Burman, favourite composers of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand respectively. Other popular composers of the golden age were Madan Mohan , O P Nayyar, Roshan, Salil Choudhary and C Ramachandra to name a few. Even today musical evenings and such other shows are organized in their memory. However, there were several music composers who were talented but did not get their due. Today let us talk about one such composer who was under-rated and who also remain unrewarded throughout his career.

Photo courtesy: humaraforums.com

CHITRAGUPTA, born as Chitragupta Shrivastav in Gopalganj district of Bihar on 16th November 1917 is one of the unsung heroes of the golden age. He was a lecturer in a Patna college but quit his job to make a career as a music composer. Entry to the Bombay film world was no cakewalk for him. He started off as an assistant to music director S N Tripathi who generally composed music for devotional and mythological films. So did Chitragupta at the beginning of his career. Some of the films of the genre were Shivratri, Balyogi Upmanyu, Gayatri Mahima, Sati Madalasa and Pavanputra Hanuman. Other kind of folms he got were the stunt films. Most of these films had zero  creative value The name of some of the films such as Mala the Mighty, Fighting Hero, Stunt Queen, Tigress, Lady Robinhood, Toofan Queen says it all. 

He was still struggling in the early fifties to make his mark. One fine day he was introduced to AVM productions of South by S D Burman. Burmanda knew his work through S N Tripathi. He composed music for AVM's Bhabhi (1957) and got his due break. 

In order to understand his range as a composer let us look at some gems created by him. 

v  Miss mala (1954)- Manzil kahan meri gulshan kahan mera by Kishore Kumar

v  Bhabhi (1957)- chal ud ja re panchhi by  Rafi, Chali chali re patang meri by Rafi-Lata,  Kare kare badra by Lata, Chupakar meri aankhon ko By Rafi-Lata

v  Kali topi laal rumaal (1959)- Lagi chhute na ab to sanam by Rafi-Lata, Daga daga wai wai  by Lata

v  Tel malish boot polish (1961)- Kanha ja re By Manna Dey-Lata (Classical base)

v  Bada Aadmi (1961)- Ankhiyan sang ankhiyan lagi by Rafi (Classical base)

v  Zabak (1961)- Teri duniya se dur by  Rafi-Lata

v  Main chup rahungi (1962)- Chand jane khan kho gaya by  Rafi-Lata, Tum hi ho mata pita tum hi ho by Lata

v  Main shadi karne chala (1962)- Albeli naar pritam dware by Manna Dey (Classical base)

v  Opera house (1962)- Dekho mausam kya bahar hai by  Mukesh-Lata, Balma mane na by Lata

v  Ganga ki laheren (1964)- Chhedo na meri zulfen by  Kishore-Lata

v  Akashdeep (1965)- Mujhe dard-e dil ka pata na tha by Rafi, Dil ka diya jala ke gaya by Lata

v  Oonche log (1965)- Jag dil e diwana by Rafi, Aaja re mere pyaar ke rahi by Lata-Mahendra Kapoor

v  Vasna (1967)- Ye parbaton ke daayre by  Rafi-Lata

          Apart from hindi films, he also composed music for many Bhojpuri films. Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (1963) is the first ever film made in Bhojpuri language and the music was composed by Chitragupta, lyrics were penned by Shailendra and the songs were sung by eminent playback singers like Lata, Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Usha Mangeshkar. 

            An interesting observation is that Chitragupta's music rose above the films he was offered. But, in spite of creating such melodious songs he never won a Filmfare. Years later, it was won by his sons Anand-Milind for the film Qayamat se Qayamat Tak in 1989. His sons worked as his assistants for eight years before starting their own work. Chitragupta was content with his sons' success and passed away peacefully on 14th January 1991.

       The music of the fifties and sixties is a treasure which remained hidden for the next generations of music lovers but thanks to Internet that these gems are freely available to all music connoisseurs. Chitragupa will always remain one of the greats of our Golden Era of music.

Women in Cinema

Women in Cinema

It can be said with no exaggeration that without women there would be no cinema. Sadly, this is so not because the natural concerns of genuine womanhood have been addressed in film, but because from the very beginnings of cinema a woman has been made the centerpiece of attraction, an object of desire. This systematic cultivation of women as objects of desire has been akin to the gradual process of drug addiction: at first, the effects were rather mild and pleasantly stimulating - and thus considered not only harmless by both men and women, but even liberating - however, as time went on and doses increased, a feverish state of dependency set in. What has started out as a quest for liberation from convention ended up being a different form of enslavement.

Marilyn Monroe in "Seven Years' Itch"
Source:www.telegraph.co.uk

Today women can be seen to have divided themselves into roughly two groups: those, who continue to perceive this enslavement as "liberation"; and those, who vaguely sense that the real search for the true liberation of women has not even begun.

Cinema, in particular, has made a devastating contribution here. One definition of 99% of cinema would be to say that it specializes in creating beauty-substitutes. Through personality cults of stars, through promotion of escapism into fantasy, it creates images, which encourage superficiality and vanity - the two qualities that are already sufficiently developed as it is within all of us. And since women, due to their superior intuitive faculty, are more susceptible to suggestions through imagery than men, the effect on the female population has been nothing short of catastrophic. Most women are no longer able to separate vanity from beauty; to be an object of desire has become synonymous with being beautiful. During her televised funeral, Princess Diana (a role-model for millions of girls and women around the world) was eulogized (by an anchor-woman) as "an object of every man's desire".

Acknowledgement:
www.hal-pc.org/~questers/womanhood/women_in_film.html

 

Film Noir: Black Film

Film Noir: Black Film

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classical film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression.

The term film noir, French for "black film," first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era.^[2] Cinema historians and critics defined the category retrospectively. Before the notion was widely adopted in the 1970s, many of the classic films noirs were referred to as melodramas. Whether film noir qualifies as a distinct genre is a matter of ongoing debate.

Source:woodyhaut.blogspot.com

Acknowledgement

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir
 

           

 

R.I.P., the movie camera

R.I.P., the movie camera: 1888-2011

We might as well call it: Cinema as we knew it is dead.

An article at the moviemaking technology website Creative Cow reports that the three major manufacturers of motion picture film cameras — Aaton, ARRI and Panavision — have all ceased production of new cameras within the last year, and will only make digital movie cameras from now on. As the article’s author, Debra Kaufman, poignantly puts it, “Someone, somewhere in the world is now holding the last film camera ever to roll off the line.”

A director shooting his film with Panavision camera
Source:thinbluelinewallpaper.blogspot.com

 

shoot movies on film, film itself will may become increasingly hard to come by, use, develop and preserve. It also means that the film camera — invented in 1888 by Louis Augustin Le Prince — will become to cinema what typewriters are to literature. Anybody who still uses a Smith-Corona or IBM Selectric typewriter knows what that means: if your beloved machine breaks, you can’t just take it to the local repair shop, you have to track down some old hermit in another town who advertises on Craigslist and stockpiles spare parts in his basement.

As Aaton founder Jean-Pierre Beauviala told Kaufman: “Almost nobody is buying new film cameras. Why buy a new one when there are so many used cameras around the world? We wouldn’t survive in the film industry if we were not designing a digital camera.” Bill Russell, ARRI’s vice president of cameras, added that: “The demand for film cameras on a global basis has all but disappeared.”

Theaters, movies, moviegoing and other core components of what we once called “cinema” persist, and may endure. But they’re not quite what they were in the analog cinema era. They’re something new, or something else — the next generation of technologies and rituals that had changed shockingly little between 1895 and the early aughts. We knew this day would come. Calling oneself a “film director” or “film editor” or “film buff” or a “film critic” has over the last decade started to seem a faintly nostalgic affectation; decades hence it may start to seem fanciful. It’s a vestigial word that increasingly refers to something that does not actually exist — rather like referring to the mass media as “the press.”

Acknowledgement:

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/13/r_i_p_the_movie_camera_1888_2011/
www.thinblueline.blogspot.com
 

 

Top five Legal Drama Movies

Top 5 Legal Drama Movies

Legal and courtroom dramas have always been a staple of Hollywood and independent film making. They are thrilling and you learn some things along the way. With authors such as John Grisham, Michael Connelly and Scott Turow producing some of the best selling novels in this category, Hollywood has taken legal dramas to the big screen. I take a look at the five best legal dramas that have changed the face of the courtroom drama.

Number 5: The Client (1994)

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. Starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, it tells the story of two young brothers who accidentally witness the suicide of mob lawyer Jerome Clifford. Clifford revealed before his death to Mark (the older of the two boys) that he is taking his own life instead of being murdered by the nephew of the local kingpin. It becomes clear to the mob that Clifford may have also revealed the location of the body of a senator that was killed by them. The younger of the two boys is hospitalised with shock and his older brother Mark seeks out a lawyer to help protect him.

In her Academy Award nomination role, Sarandon is the recovering alcoholic lawyer that Mark eventually finds. Tommy Lee Jones stars as a narcissistic US attorney that is trying to solve the case to further his own career. The script is well paced, brilliantly acted and exciting to watch. Each of the characters become desperate to save themselves within their own terrifying situation. The film is notable for it being the late Brad Renfro’s debut feature film as Mark Sway.

Number 4: Primal Fear (1996)

A relatively unknown gem starring Richard Gere as Martin Vail, a big shot defence attorney in Chicago and Edward Norton’s debut feature as Vail’s client Aaron Stampler. Stampler is arresting after fleeing the scene of the murder of beloved Archbishop Rushman. Vail takes on Stampler pro-bono relishing the media publicity that the case will bring. It soon appears to Vail that Stampler is innocent much to the disagreement of the prosecuting lawyer (and Vail’s former lover) Janet Venable (Laura Linney).

Some critics have accused the film of being lacklustre with an over the top side plot to keep the viewers interested, however, what is fantastic about this film is the performance of a young Edward Norton. He steals the show from veterans Gere and John Mahoney (Fraiser) as the troubled alter boy who hides a very dark secret. This has a few fantastic scenes particularly one between Norton and Gere in the police holding cell.

Number 3: A Time to Kill (1996)

Another John Grisham adaptation on my list. A star studded cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Keifer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland. Set in a fictitious bible belt town in Mississippi, the first part of the film tells the story of the rape of a young black girl by two white hicks who are then murdered by her father Samuel L. Jackson. The second part of the film deals with Jackson’s defence by young lawyer Jake Briggance (McConaughey).

Although this film shamelessly tugs on the aul heartstrings, it doesn’t demean the film in the slightest. Its an enthralling watch by a great cast and good script. John Grisham worked with the writers of the film, but wasn’t entirely satisfied with the end product. The book does differ quite a lot from the book but still manages to keep the basic plot going. A great watch.

Number 2: A Few Good Men (1992)

A screen adaptation by Aaron Sorkin (writer of The West Wing) based on his own play of the same name, the film stars Tom Cruise as LTJG Daniel Kaffee as a bright inexperienced Naval lawyer who leads the defence of two court-martialed marines for the murder of their fellow marine.

Say what you will about Tom Cruise, he delivers an amazing performance as Kaffee, perhaps his best performance. His personal life and his religious beliefs shadow how talented of a dramatic actor Cruise is. The film is gripping and wastes no time on unnecessary sub-plots or images for the sake of it. It quickly paced and Jack Nicholson does a fantastic turn as the villain (who’d have thought!). Cruise and Nicholson have a good supporting cast in Demi Moore, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and Kevin Pollack. The film is noted for it’s infamous line “You can’t handle the truth!”.

Number 1: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

My number one legal drama film is based on the novel by Harper Lee, and is considered a golden oldie by our generation. Even if you were made read the book for your Junior Certificate just like I was, there’s no doubt that it left an impression on you good or bad. The same can be said of this film. Gregory Peck delivers the finest performance of his long and prolific career as lawyer Atticus Finch, defending a black man in 1930s for the rape of a young woman. The film also follows Finch’s children and their fascination with their neighbour Boo Radley around whom many urban legends have started.

Gregory Peck and Brock Peters in a court scene in 'To kill a mockingbird'
Source: www.frankwbaker.com

 Peck’s performance is seen as one of the great performances of all time. Harper Lee even stated herself that he was perfect for the role. The film is preserved by the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. I strongly urge everyone to see this film. Do not be put off by it’s age or the fact that it’s in black and white, this is a wonderful film, that is very near perfect. Atticus Finch may even turn out to be your hero after watching it. The film is the screen debut of legendary actor Robert Duvall.

Ackowledgement:
http://galway.studenty.me/2012/07/25/top-5-legal-drama-movies/

Adaptations: books to movies......movies to books

Adaptations: Books to Movies……Movies to Books

A film adaptation is the transfer of a written work, in whole or in part, to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.

A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film. Other works adapted into films include non-fiction (including journalism), autobiography, comic books, scriptures, plays, historical sources, and even other films. From the earliest days of cinema, in nineteenth century Europe, adaptation from such diverse resources has been a ubiquitous practice of film-making.

Poster of 'Life of Pi' written by Yann Martel, adopted as a film by Ang Lee
Source: en.wikipedia.org

 

When a film's screenplay is original, it can also be the source of derivative works such as novels and plays. For example, movie studios will commission novelizations of their popular titles or sell the rights to their titles to publishing houses. These novelized films will frequently be written on assignment and sometimes written by authors who have only an early script as their source. Consequently, novelizations are quite often changed from the films as they appear in theaters.

Novelization can build up characters and incidents for commercial reasons (e.g. to market a card or computer game, to promote the publisher's "saga" of novels, or to create continuity between films in a series)

There have been instances of novelists who have worked from their own screenplays to create novels at nearly the same time as a film. Both Arthur C. Clarke, with 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Graham Greene, with The Third Man, have worked from their own film ideas to a novel form (although the novel version of The Third Man was written more to aid in the development of the screenplay than for the purposes of being released as a novel). Both John Sayles and Ingmar Bergman write their film ideas as novels before they begin producing them as films, although neither director has allowed these prose treatments to be published.

Acknowledgement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_adaptation

Film festivals: a celebration of cinema

Film Festivals: A Celebration of Cinema

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. Increasingly film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by the organisers' domestic film industry. Sometimes there is a focus on a specific film-maker or genre (e.g., film noir) or subject matter (e.g., horror film festivals). A number of film festivals specialise in short films, each with its defined maximum length. Film festivals are typically annual events.

Emblem of the Berlin Film Festival
Source: www.logosociety.blogspot.com

 

Probably the best-known and most noteworthy film festival in the world is the Cannes Film Festival. Other important and prestigious film festivals include that held in Berlin and Venice (oldest film festival).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_festival
 

Top Ten Indian Child Artists

Top Ten Indian Child artists

1. Daisy Irani: Daisy Irani was the most famous child actor of Indian cinema. Born on 1952, she acted in many films as a child artist. Her some popular films are Jagte Raho, Naya Daur, Bhabhi etc.

2. Sachin Pilgaonkar: Popularly known as Sachin, he was born on 17 August 1957. He started his career as a child artiste and acted in about 65 films as a child artiste and his first film was a Marathi film called Ha maza marg ekla (1962) for that he won National Film award. As a child actor he acted in some films like Mela, Brahmchari, Manjhali Didi and Jewel Theif.

3. Sarika: She started her filmy career as a child actor and often played a boy. As a child artist she worked in many films like Aashirwad, Satyakaam, Chhoti Bahu, Hamraaz etc.

Master Raju, Daisy Irani and Sarika
Source: en.wikipedia.org

 

4. Master Raju: Master Raju was the cutest child actor ever. He acted in many movies as a child artist. Some of his popular films as a child actors are Parichay, Bawarchi, Amar Prem, Faraar, Daag and many more.

5. Baby Guddu (Shaista Khan): A very popular and cute child artist Baby Guddu acted in several films as a child artist like Amrit, Ghar Ghar ki Kahani, aakhir Kyon, Kudrat Ka Kanoon etc. she also appeared in a Colgate ad.

6. Kunal Khemu: Before starting his career as an adult actor, he acted in Hindi films as a child artist. After doing a television serial Gul Gulshan Gulfaam on Doordarshan in 1987, Kunal Khemu started his Hindi film career as a child actor in a movie called Sir. After that he acted (As a child actor) in some very popular films like Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Bhai and Zakhm.

7. Satyajeet Puri: Born in 1960, Satyajeet Puri started his filmy career as a child artist. His first film was Mere Lal. Later he worked in many films like Hare Raama Hare Krishna, Anuraag, Shor etc.

8. Master Bitto (Vishal Desai): Vishal desai popularly known as Master Bitto was one of the most famous child actor of Indian film industry. As a child actor he acted in many films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Anokha Bandhan, Mr. Natwarlal etc.

9. Parzan Dastur: One of the sweetest kid stars ever, Parzan dastur is popularly known as the Jalebi kid from the Dhara ad. As a child actor, he worked in several films like Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai, Mohabbatein, Zubeida, Parzania etc.

10. Swini Khara: Born on 12 July 1998, Swini Khara is a popular child actor of Bollywood. She acted in many popular Bollywood films like Cheeni Kum, Kaalo - The Desert Witch, Chingaari etc.


Acknowledgement:
www.itsmycountdown.com/.../top-10-child-artists-of-indian-cinema....

A look at the oldest theatres in Mumbai

A look at the oldest theatres in Mumbai

 

Edward theatre at Dhobi Talao
Source: www.diodia.com

 

Though the PVRs, Cinemaxes, and Adlabs rule cinema culture today, south Mumbai still houses some of the earliest known theatres of the city. Established in the early 20th century, almost all of them are now dilapidated and screen only semi-porn, Bhojpuri or old Bollywood films. With ticket prices not crossing the Rs. 25 mark, most of the patrons that frequent these erstwhile cinemas are daily wage labourers or beggars.

Edward, Dhobi talao

The theatre is named after King Edward who visited it in 1914. Says manager Sanjay Vasava, “The owners are running it on a no-profit-no-loss basis, thereby making sure their 30 employees don’t lose their livelihoods.”  Edward plays old movies that won’t get a screen in other parts of the city. Adds Vasava, “In 1974, when it screened Jai Santoshi Maa, women from the adjoining areas would come with a thaali and light diyas in front of the screen. They would also distribute jaggery and grams to patrons.”

Royal Talkies, Grant Road

Started in 1911, the theatre originally screened documentaries. By 1914, Royal only staged plays. Says owner Suli Arya, “By 1930, most theatres in the area started showing movies. We too followed suit. The backstage gave way to the screen.” With a seating capacity of 600, it barely finds 50 viewers for a two-month old Bollywood movie.

New Roshan Talkies, Grant Road

Started in 1930, the theatre has screened only reruns till date. Says manager, Javed Qureshi, "Our seating capacity is 668 and tickets are priced at Rs. 15 and 20. A Parsi family, who later sold it to the Iqbals, started it. When we started, there were benches for seating and we have tried getting new furniture from time to time."

Nishat Cinema, Grant Road

Owned by Neeta Nihalani, wife of film director, Pahlaj Nihalani, the theatre now screens only Bhojpuri movies, priced at R 15/18. Says Neeta, “We came from Pakistan after partition and started a play house on August 15, 1952, where the current theatre stands.”

Gulshan Theatre, Opera House

The cheapest of all, Gulshan charges Rs. 9 and 10 for tickets, though the movies playing are from the ’80s and ’90s. The theatre was renovated about a decade ago and given a new façade.

Imperial Cinema, Grant Road

Situated in the busy commercial area, Lamington Road, Imperial started shop in 1905 as an orchestra theatre. It now plays only B-grade Bhojpuri movies. Tickets are priced at Rs. 30-35 and the night shows generate maximum business.

Alfred theatre, Grant Road

Started around 1880 as Rippon and then rechristened as Alfred in 1932, the theatre currently screens only soft porn movies. The distinct European architecture is still intact. Says manager, Hoozefa Bootwala, “Our audience likes only action movies. They don’t want Race or Players. They won’t understand such cinema.”  Tickets are priced at Rs. 18/20. 

Maratha Mandir, Mumbai central

The first film to premiere at the iconic theatre was Sunil Dutt and Vyjayanthimala’s Sadhna. In 1960, Mughal-E-Azam was premiered here and ran for six years. Says managing director, Manoj Desai, “At the premiere, Dilip Kumar came on a horse. There were elephants all over the place.” Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge has been running here for the last 17 years and still gets 100 percent occupancy on weekends and public holidays.

Capitol Cinema, CST

Opened in 1879, the theatre was a regular for the British elite based in the city. It was then known as Gaety. Now, most of the theatre’s patrons are migrant workers who go in for the cheap tickets and old Bollywood films. Globe Theatres, which manages the cinema, also owns the Regal theatre in Colaba.

 

 

Acknowledgement:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/A-look-at-the-oldest-theatres-in-Mumbai/Article1-797856.aspx