Why has Mumbai’s iconic Gaiety-Galaxy theatre suddenly shut?

One of Mumbai’s most recognisable cinema landmarks, Gaiety-Galaxy in Bandra, has been shut by the police after they found that its entertainment licence had allegedly not been renewed since 2021. The Bandra police have registered a case against the theatre owner, manager and the firm running the cinema under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with disobedience of an order issued by a public servant.

The police have also pasted a notice outside the cinema directing it to remain closed. A senior IPS officer confirmed the action and said the cinema would be allowed to reopen once its licence is renewed. In Mumbai, cinema theatres are required to obtain a Premises Licence from the Commissioner of Police.

The licence has to be renewed every year after payment of the prescribed fee and submission of an undertaking confirming compliance with safety requirements, including fire safety norms, police said. “The FIR has been registered and the cinema has been closed.

If the licence is renewed, it will be allowed to function,” the officer said. The closure notice put up by the Bandra police says the cinema has been closed for the next few shows due to non-renewal of its licence. The theatre management, however, has given a different reason for the shutdown.

The Indian Express contacted executive director Manoj Desai for his response, but he did not respond to calls or messages. A social media post attributed to Desai said the cinema had been shut because of a technical problem.

According to the post, some cables inside the theatre had burnt out and replacement cables had been arranged from Lohar Chawl in south Mumbai. The management said shows would resume once the problem was fixed. Gaiety-Galaxy, which opened in 1972, initially had three screens Gaiety, Galaxy and Gemini.

Four more screens Glamour, Gem, Gossip and Grace were later added, giving the complex its popular identity as G7. Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.

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