It's the end of the road for Central Plaza, Girgaum's iconic single-screen theatre

Central Plaza, the iconic single-screen theatre in Girgaum in Old Mumbai, will not reopen after the lockdown.

The owners of the theatre, where many films celebrated their silver and golden jubilees over the years, say they can no longer afford to run it.

The high property tax in South Mumbai is also said to be among the reason for shutting down.

In a statement to the Marathi daily Sakal, Dilip Vartak, co-owner of Central Plaza, said, "We don't know when theatres will open again. We can't afford to pay the various taxes and electricity bills anymore, that's why we have decided to shut down our theatre for an indefinite period."

Central Plaza was acquired by Pranlal Doshi and Ganesh J Vartak in 1967-68 from KK Modi’s Western India Theatres Ltd, the first public limited company in the Indian exhibition trade.

The Doshis and the Vartaks still own it jointly.

Just like Central Plaza, there are a number of single-screen cinemas in Maharashtra which are thinking of closing down. Manoj Desai, executive director of the G7 multiplex at Bandra and Maratha Mandir at Mumbai Central, said his properties, too, are facing a similar ordeal. “There hasn’t been any income in the last five or six months," he said. "So we all are in the same boat.”

Chitra, another well-known single-screen cinema at Dadar in central Mumbai, closed down for financial reasons last year. And last week, the iconic twin theatres Ganga Jamuna at Tardeo were demolished.

Although single-screen theatres in the city have weathered many storms over the years in the form of television, videocassette players, multiplexes and high taxes, the coronavirus pandemic is proving to be the proverbial last straw on the camel's back for many.