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Mumbai’s iconic single-screen theatre, Maratha Mandir, has remained the permanent home of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge for 30 years and it will continue to do so as long as audiences keep coming, says the theatre's executive director Manoj Desai.
Opened in 1952, the 1,107-seater cinema has screened numerous iconic films, including Mughal-E-Azam and Pakeezah. Yet it is the Shah Rukh Khan–Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge that has cemented its place in history with an unprecedented and record-breaking run since its release on October 20, 1995.
During a private screening ten days before the release of the film, which marked the directorial debut of Yash Chopra’s son Aditya, Desai said that he told the late filmmaker -- “Yeh lambi race ka ghoda hai” (this will enjoy a long run).
“I was desperate to release the movie. It has everything in it. Great story, and Amrish Puri, Shah Rukh, and Kajol were perfect for their respective roles. If the public demand sustains, we will continue to run the movie in the theatre.
"At that time, I didn't know that we would run it in theatres this long. Our managing director, Mr Arun Nahar had thought that since the ticket rates are so low, it will be in our theatres for a long time and it turned out to be true,” Desai told PTI in an interview.
On a typical weekday, the theatre draws around 70 to 100 viewers for the 11:30 am show, while the weekend attendance jumps to 200–300 enthusiastic fans. Tickets are priced at Rs 50 for the balcony and Rs 30 for the dress circle.
What makes DDLJ special is its ability to resonate across various demographics, said Desai.
At Maratha Mandir, which is located just a short distance from both Mumbai Central Railway Station and ST bus stand, people come from different parts of the country to watch the iconic film.
“We’ve different set of audiences coming to watch it, and they all enjoy watching DDLJ. Besides, they can afford a movie at this rate,” he said.
Desai witnessed the incredible attachment and love that audiences have for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge a few years ago when the theatre put up a notice saying that the film would stop screening after 1,000 weeks.
Instead of accepting it, many fans came to the theatre to express their disappointment. "There were couples who asked me to remove the board. Ultimately, It’s the public that makes a film hit,” Desai said.
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The film has been played at the theatre every day since its release, except for a brief hiatus of four months or so during the pandemic that hit India in March 2020.
“We used to get phone calls asking us to start screening DDLJ once COVID-19 was over. We all know the kind of films release today but DDLJ is truly special,” Desai recalled.
With its old-world charm, comfortable seating, and a spacious food-and-beverage area, the theatre offers a unique atmosphere that keeps patrons returning again and again.
The corridors, lined with photographs and trophies from numerous films, serve as a reminder of the rich history and enduring legacy of the cinema hall.
“We do whatever we can to give a good experience in terms of pricing and the ambience. All kinds of people come here, most of them are couples, or those who have had night shifts come here and some even sleep inside in the AC.
"I’ve become friends with those who come here regularly and we share things and sometimes food with each other,” a staff member at Maratha Mandir, who has been working for over a decade, told PTI.
Among the audience, one will find students, office goers and even social media influencers re-watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at the Maratha Mandir.
For Vijay, a 58-year-old taxi driver who comes to watch the movie during his lunch break, the film resonates on a deeply personal level.
“My father was almost like Amrish Puri ji, me and my siblings would fear him a lot as he was a disciplinarian but he had a heart of gold, he did whatever he could for us. Whenever I see this film, it reminds me of my father, he left us a few years ago,” the driver told PTI.
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For content creator and stand-up comedian Pulkit Kochar, watching the film is a surreal experience, with its dialogues and songs etched into his memory.
“I don’t have the count of how many times I’ve seen DDLJ. This is the first film I watched after I was born, I’m exactly 30-year-old. So, it’s surreal to watch this romance which my parents saw,” Kochar told PTI.
A couple in their early 20s told PTI, “This is my most and only favourite love story. We didn’t know anything about DDLJ or Shah Rukh or Kajol, but once we friends came here last year after college, we discovered this gem. We come here regularly to get immersed in the love and warmth of Raj and Simran.”
A staff at Maratha Mandir expressed joy of seeing consistent crowd, at a time when theatres particularly, single-screens are struggling to lure audiences. “Today, films of big stars are not doing well in theatres. But we’re glad we’ve a film here which continues to draw people every day. Our theatre is not running empty on any day. People just come to watch it as they are in love with this film,” the staff member told PTI.
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