By Mumbai police shut down the historic Gaiety-Galaxy cinema complex in Bandra this week, citing a lapse in the venue’s operating licence.
A notice posted outside the theatre said shows were suspended due to non-renewal of required certificates, and police registered a case under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the operators.
The theatre’s executive director, Manoj Desai, gave a different account, saying burnt electrical cables forced the shutdown and that replacements were being sourced from Lohar Chawl in South Mumbai.
Gaiety Galaxy has been operating in Bandra since 1972, making it one of Mumbai’s oldest surviving single-screen theatres.
No reopening date has been confirmed as repairs and licensing questions are worked out.
A notice posted by Bandra police outside the theatre stated that shows were suspended for the time being due to non-renewal of the venue’s operating license.
The theatre’s closure comes at a time when several older single-screen cinemas across Mumbai have faced increasing pressure from licensing and fire-safety compliance requirements.
Gaiety Galaxy has historically hosted premieres and events for major Bollywood releases, making it a recognisable name well beyond Bandra itself.
Authorities have not specified a date for reopening, with the timeline dependent on completion of the electrical repairs and submission of renewed certification.
Mumbai’s municipal and police authorities routinely inspect entertainment venues for fire-safety and licensing compliance, particularly after incidents involving electrical faults at public venues.
The conflicting accounts from police and the theatre’s management — license non-renewal versus a technical electrical fault — have not yet been publicly reconciled by either side.
Gaiety Galaxy in Bandra has operated since 1972 and is one of Mumbai’s oldest surviving single-screen theatre complexes, a fixture of the city’s Bollywood-adjacent cinema culture.
Bandra police registered a case under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the theatre’s operators after finding required certificates had not been renewed.
G7 Multiplex (Gaiety-Galaxy), Bandra, Mumbai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
