Located in the heart of Bandra (West), G7 Multiplex (popularly known as Gaiety Galaxy Cinema) is often referred to as the box office barometer for Hindi films. Whether a film is a hit or flop is decided here on first day first show by its highly enthusiastic (at times aggressive) patrons who arrive in hordes to catch the new Bollywood releases week on week. This has not only prompted producers and actors to keep track of these theatres’ collections but also led to media channels lining outside its halls for taking audience reactions every Friday. This is perhaps the only theatre in Mumbai which star actors like Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff and Ranveer Singh love to visit and interact directly with their fans.
Not a multiplex in true sense, G7 houses seven cinema halls in one space – Gaiety and Galaxy are the bigger ones with thousand seats each, Gemini and Gossip are smaller with around two fifty seats while Gem and Glamour were preview theatres earlier with fifty seats each which were thrown open to audience somewhere in early 2000s. Grace continues to be the only preview theatre now.
One of the main reasons to watch a film (specially Salman Khan starrers which are a craze here) at G7 is because it still retains the old world charm of movie watching – huge queues at ticket counters, blatant black-marketing and a passionate crowd which loves to whistle, hoot, get up and dance at every punchline, scene or a chartbuster song.
G7 is managed by Manoj Desai who is also the owner of Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai Central which is famous for screening blockbusters like Mughal-E-Azam (1960) and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995). Like Maratha Mandir, the ticket rates at G7 are an affordable Rs. 120 only which makes it an ideal option for the city’s lower middle class to spend quality time with their family and friends. Crunchy popcorn and piping hot samosas are sold at its cafeteria for just Rs. 30 which is probably lowest fare in entire Mumbai. By keeping the pricing low, G7 has built its loyal audience which prefers to watch films only at this cinema. Currently, when most single screens are fighting for survival, this one is still going strong.
Right since the ‘80s, I have seen many movies at G7 – Hum (1991), Sadak (1991), Oh Darling Yeh hai India (1995), Bluffmaster (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006) and more recently, Rajinikanth’s Darbar (2020) to name a few. I still remember the first day ticket of Amitabh Bachchan’s Hum whose cost at counter was mere Rs. 10 was getting sold for Rs. 500 in black at Gaiety. An unheard of price in 1991!! Those were the times when the audience used to line up the night before when advance booking would commence from Monday and sleep on the floors near the ticket counters. Police would be called to manage the unruly crowd rushing to get their first show tickets. In fact, there have been many instances when I have returned home without watching a movie at G7 as it was invariably housefull and the black market rates were simply unaffordable. Ofcourse, now with the advent of online booking, the menace of blackers has come down substantially at these cinema halls but still a new Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar release ensures brisk business to these touts.
While most single screens are still shut due to lack of audience in the COVID pandemic, G7 was first to open in Diwali 2020 with Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. While it has kept only a couple of its screens open as of now, it is only a matter of time before things go back to its usual “Housefull” days. Just wait for Sooryavanshi or Radhe to arrive!!
All images courtesy Internet
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