Gaiety-Galaxy's owner Manoj Desai struggles to provide salaries

Manoj Desai

A month into the shutdown of cinemas, the picture is not looking rosy for Mumbai's iconic theatre, G7, better known as Gaiety-Galaxy. While the top brass of several multiplex chains have taken voluntary pay cuts to ensure their business stays afloat, Manoj Desai, owner of the Bandra theatre, says he is struggling to provide salaries to his employees.

Talking to mid-day, Desai says, "I don't want to lay off anyone as per the directive of our prime minister. I am taking a bank loan to tide over the next few months. I want to retain all my staffers. How will they run their homes if I let go of them?"

In the face of the crisis, Bollywood has stepped up to provide financial assistance to the daily wagers and the needy across the country. But Desai rues that the stars haven't spared a thought to their favourite theatre in these trying times. "When their films release, they drop by at Gaiety to see the crowd. They give interviews saying that the crowd at Gaiety is the yardstick to determine a film's success, but no one has offered help so far."

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