Actors and politicians and the janata join in to save the city’s iconic theatre for Marathi cinema

By Aneesh Phadnis and Nilanjana Nag (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2010)

// // // Are moviegoers gradually losing a chance to watch Marathi cinema at affordable rates? There are hardly any cinema halls left in the city that cater to patrons across classes. One such theatre, Lalbaug’s 70-year-old Bharatmata cinema, is in danger with city civil court dismissing its eviction case against the National Textile Corporation.

Since last week, Kapil Bhopatkar, managing partner of Bharatmata Cinema in Parel, has been knocking the doors of politicians to help him save the cinema hall. While some politicians, actors, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists have promised support, he plans to meet the CM too to plead his case.

Chavan promised that the government will purchase the land from the National Textile Corporation but a dissatisfied Bhopatkar says, “Chavan just made a general statement on being questioned by media persons. There is zero clarity on the plan of action.”

For Bhopatkar, whose grandfather took over the theatre in 1940, in a plot sub-leased from United Mills Private Ltd, Bharatmata has emotional significance. “There have been bad times when we had to dig into our pockets to pay staff salaries.”

Of late with the flourish of Marathi movies, things have improved for the cinema hall.  Bhopatkar says, “The average occupancy at our cinema is 65 percent which More >