Meet The Man Who¡¯s Been Screening DDLJ For The Last 22 Years At Mumbai¡¯s Maratha Mandir

The Maratha Mandir seems deserted now, except for a few college students skipping their classes. There¡¯s a peculiar smell as one enters the theatre premise, but it¡¯s hard to tell if it¡¯s of freshly-spread varnish over the wooden panels that cover almost every inch of the interiors or a cleaning agent used in every nook and corner of the space ¨C because the lobby seems refreshingly clean, and the slightly outmoded glass chandeliers above are a fascinating reason nonetheless.

However, we know that this single screen has been through a lot because of its old world charm. Maratha Mandir has seen all the seasons, biggest of superstars, and best of films Bollywood has had to offer. It¡¯s been one of those single screen theatres standing tall regardless of its fame receding with time, but its pride as intact as its stature.

The interiors made of wood and old style chandeliers

We can pledge this based on what Manoj Desai, executive director of Maratha Mandir shared with us whilst sitting in his ¡®out-of-bounds-for-commoners¡¯ cabin first floor surrounded with large mementoes of various cults and classics like Khuda Gawah, Sholay, Mother India and Coolie no. 1 to name a few, completing a certain 'jubilee' span at the theatre.

¡°When Mughal-E-Azam was released, Dilip Sahab and Madhubala came on elephants with an entourage grander than the film itself,¡± he told us while sharing anecdotes about the place. While Desai is an encyclopedia of filmy facts, he also is one of the key people handling all the major operations of the theatre.

Maratha Mandir

The DDLJ love

A major reason why Maratha Mandir is famous is because it is synonymous with more-than-1000-weeks-and-still-running ¡®Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge¡¯ (DDLJ). For the last 22 years, the single screen has cancelled the show off the iconic Yash Raj production only once. It is then that he introduces us to Jagjivan Maru, who has been showing the SRK-Kajol starrer, since the film was released.

As one begins a little tour of the Maratha Mandir, a Sai Baba idol right at the entrance is the first thing that comes to notice. Maru, graciously takes you around the theatre and tells story about everything that's there.

DDLJ: 22 Years and still going strong

His experience is evident on his face, wrinkles saturating along the eyes, mane white as a cloud, but smile fresh as morning. Despite having been the operator of projection room for a total of 45 years, never missing a single show, he is an ardent lover of DDJ himself.

¡°It¡¯s the perfect movie. You can watch it with children, parents or with your lover, the movie is fantastic, the songs are the best part of the film,¡± Maru tells us as he takes us upstairs on the marble exit staircase of the theatre. We feel almost privileged to stand before a large, unpolished wooden door that opens to another narrow room that leads to the strictly-out-of-bounds projector room.

Jagjivan Maru

"As every father wants his daughter to get married and stay at her in laws¡¯, I think DDLJ has come to us to stay. It¡¯s come and stayed here and I would want it to stay here forever," he says.

BCCL

Safety first

Contrary to what everyone believes, Maru tells us that on weekends, the DDLJ¡¯s matinee shows at 11.30 am still have half the capacity audience.

¡°Due to the proximity of Mumbai Central station that carries a lot of outstation passengers, a lot of the audience is the tourists, as well as the cookies that work on the station. Families used to come until the last ten years, but now it¡¯s mostly people coming alone, college kids and a lot of taxi drivers coming to sleep in peace,¡± Maru laughs heartily.

1100 seater theatre still has its loyal audience

¡°Maratha Mandir has survived so far without a single case of any woman complaining of misbehaviour by any other member of the audience,¡± Maru informs us as he tells us how various audiences come repeatedly and yet never get tired of the place.

The interiors are a bright red, old, and comfortable

Romancing old with the new

Maru was one-year-old when he moved to Mumbai from Junagadh, Gujarat with his parents. A resident of Vasai, Maru recalls how there used to be reels for each film and when DDLJ released, there are five to six reels that had to be changed and put into the projector.

¡°In a way, it¡¯s great that the digital format of video projection has come in and transformed the movie scenario. Initially, even one small scratch on the reel and we would have to order new ones,¡± Maru informs us.

Maru posing outside the projection room

We even had to remember the sequences of the reels. ¡°Once I wasn¡¯t present in the room and another person changed the reels. The audience who knew the movie began complaining that the sequence had been changed,¡± he shared, showing the empty reel containers lying in the rooms alongside the projection room.

The old empty reels that once entertained thousands

He also shared a rather romantic incident where, ¡°A well-to-do man came to us, booked the entire 1100 seats of the theatre and sat in the balcony with his girlfriend and perhaps proposed to her after the film,¡± he told us.

And while it does not matter that the cost of the tickets of DDLJ are Rs 15, Rs 20 and Rs 25 for balcony, booking an entire theatre for someone you love and watching the most romantic movie of our time is an experience to cherish for life. Not only romantics, but we¡¯re sure even skeptics would like this concept.

Generations of cinema

Maru tells us that while not all films get the best reception at Maratha Mandir, there were few that he himself loved, and the audience appreciated them too. ¡°Chennai Express was one of those films that did perfectly well here. It may be because most Shahrukh Khan films do well here,¡± he says with a glimmer in his eyes because we realize with his expression that he himself is a fan of King Khan.

BCCL: How old reels were handled

There¡¯s also a short documentary made on Maru called ¡®Bade TV wala¡¯, he tells.

¡°My grandson and granddaughter who are 12-year-old and 8-year-old visited here with me once. She told me that ¡®Dadaji, you have a bada (big) TV, please get it home¡¯, and that¡¯s the name I suggested the director, resulting in this name,¡± he remembers while fondly showing us his grand children¡¯s pictures.

At 67, Maru says that the future generation may not want to do this job.

¡°It¡¯s tedious and can get monotonous. I do not think the educated and aware generation would want to do this,¡± he says, adding, ¡°For me, this was my calling as I had tried quitting this job and going to Dubai to try my luck I another job. However, showing films to people was my destiny.¡±

Regarding DDLJ and his attachment to the film over a period of 25 long years, he says, ¡°As every father wants his daughter to get married and stay at her in-laws¡¯, I think DDLJ is the same for me. It¡¯s come and stayed here and I would want it to stay here forever,¡± he smiles and leaves again to make preparations for another show.