Curtains down for Aurangabad's oldest theatre

AURANGABAD: The last reel of the city's oldest theatre, Mohan Talkies, is rolling now. The city's first theatre will be pulled down this year to make way for a three-screen multiplex and a gold shopping complex.
Located in the bustling Sarafa Bazaar, the theatre dates back to the 1950s and is visibly in a dilapidated state. The intricately-designed façade of its balcony and its name, Mohan Talkies, carved out in cement are the only remnants of its past.The theatre which earlier had the reputation of being the first to screen latest releases, currently screens B-grade films.
The new project planned in its place will mark the entry of a multiplex in Aurangabad's old city.
"Our project includes a 350, 250 and a 150-seater multiplex. Since the theatre is located in Sarafa bazaar, it is only logical to have a gold shopping complex here," said Sayeed Khan, who had bought the theatre from its owner, Mohanlal Kanhaiyalal, in 1996, but had been running it on lease since 1957.
Khan said the project plan was ready and only final permissions were awaited from the municipal corporation.
"We hope the complex will be ready within two to three years," he said, adding that work would start this year.
Mohan Talkies was not on the city's heritage list, hence its redevelopment plan has not faced much hiccups, the only condition being that its theatre identity is retained. But there are many memories associated with it.
"It was not too comfortable a theatre, but people would flock to it because the owner was influential and was the first to screen latest films in Aurangabad," said Jayant Deshpande, chairman of the civic body's heritage conservation committee. "As a student, I remember watching religious films and also some action films here," he said. Watching films here was always fun and bug-infested chairs in the theatre only a minor inconvenience, he laughed.
But city old timer and Urdu poet Bashar Nawaz doesn't remember the bugs, as much as he remembers watching the film, 'Nagin', here. "There were only two theatres then in Aurangabad - Gulzar and Mohan Talkies - of which Gulzar was a tin-shed structure," Nawaz said.
Khan recalls its glorious days when it had screened Gemini, AVM and Filmistan productions and also V Shantaram's films. "Mughal-e-Azam ran for 25 weeks in this theatre," he said.
That was many years before it started losing its sheen. But it continues to be a landmark, with postal addresses in the area still carrying 'opposite to' or 'next to' Mohan Talkies written.