Mumbai's iconic Gaiety Galaxy shuts temporarily amid licence issue

Mumbai's Gaiety Galaxy has paused screenings as management works through a licensing issue. Officials say the cinema can reopen once the licence is renewed, even as rumours around the shutdown continue.Kartik Aaryan celebrated Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 success at Gaiety Galaxy. (Photo: Yogen Shah)Mumbai’s iconic theatre Gaiety Galaxy has suspended film screenings since Monday, September 7. Maratha Mandir’s manager, Manoj Pandey, confirmed to India Today that the issue was related to some internal licensing matters, which the management is working to resolve. Both Maratha Mandir and Gaiety Galaxy are owned by the same management.There were also rumours that a ruckus broke out during a screening of Hanuman Ansh, which led to the theatre’s closure. A social media post also claimed that some cables inside the theatre had burnt out and that the management was working to fix the issue.“Let’s not pay heed to any rumours floating on social media. There are some internal issues that we are working on at the moment. We will resume screenings soon,” Pandey told India Today.As per reports, an enquiry by the Theatre Branch found that the theatre’s licence had not been renewed since 2021. A notice directing the theatre to remain closed was also pasted by the police on Monday. However, officials have maintained that the cinema will be allowed to reopen once its licence is renewed. We tried to reach executive director Manoj Desai but did not receive a response until the time of filing this report.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 13:02 IST