Contours of Cinema Theatres and Bombay City

Abstract

Bombay cannot be divorced from Bollywood, its medusa-like industry. While the relationship between the city of Bombay and the cinema it produces has been much talked about, this article seeks to look at the history of single-screen cinema theatres that are testimony to the urban history of Bombay. They are the receptacle in which cinema meets its audience. Within the darkened space of the theatre, a heterogeneous audience meets for a homogenous activity—to consume cinema. On the outside, their façades bear the marks of a city’s growth—be it Art-Deco theatres like Liberty, or warehouse structures like Chandan. Their unique style also becomes a geographical marker for the city’s public to navigate their way—countless bus stops and lanes are named after theatres, and a quick chat with the city’s slightly older residents will reveal how they identify neighbourhoods with theatres. This article traces the history of theatres and entertainment in Bombay (from the 1850s) vis-à-vis the city’s urban history. The contention is that as the city grew upwards from its southern tip, expanding in girth, so did the cinema theatres multiply situating themselves along the south-north running railway lines. Thus, to understand the urban growth of Bombay, a unique lens is exploring the history of cinema theatres. In understanding this, the article will highlight the importance of single-screen cinema theatres, and the reason why their sites and spaces need to be preserved.