08 February,2017 09:21 AM IST | | Shaheen Parkar
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai talks about renovating iconic SoBo cinema where his blockbusters once played
Subhash Ghai
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai is set to unveil South Mumbai's refurbished New Excelsior theatre, now rechristened Mukta A2 Cinema. It will mark the 50th addition to the filmmaker's Mukta Cinemas chain. Akshay Kumar's Jolly LLB 2 will be the first film to be screened there this Friday post renovation.
The iconic landmark, which was taken over by the filmmaker's production house, Mukta last year, promises to provide a multiplex-like ambience at a single screen theatre.
File photo of the theatre
Ghai recalls visiting the cinema hall in the past to catch Hollywood flicks, which were the only releases to hit the screen.
He informs, "It was only later that they started showcasing Hindi films. A couple of my films, including Karma (1986), Ram Lakhan (1989) and Saudagar (1991), released there and enjoyed a silver and golden jubilee run as well."
Ghai at the refurbished theatre
"From being a cinema-goer, I started frequenting the place as a producer. Now, I begin a new innings as the owner of the place. Life has come a full circle for me," he adds.
The 600-seater will have an 84-feet screen, which, Ghai claims, will be the biggest in the country.
"Even multiplexes don't have a screen that big," says the filmmaker, who terms his cinema-acquiring trend as "a part of business diversification and vertical growth."
