Metro Theatre in Mumbai is one of the oldest and most historic cinema theatres in India. The building, with its magnificent art deco interior, was constructed in 1938 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and has stood in the heart of the city for over 60 years. It is not the only theatre in India by the name "Metro", and was in fact built two years after Metro Theatre in Calcutta.
A conversation with the theatre’s manager, Nestor D’Souza, reveals that today, DTS-equipped Metro is one of Mumbai’s most popular theatres, and runs four shows a day for a seating capacity of 1491 people. It is the biggest grossing movie house per seat in Mumbai, with most shows attracting 80 to 90 per cent attendance. From Gone with the Wind and Ben Hur to Bobby and Saudagar, several blockbuster films have premiered at Metro. The 1976, 1984 and 1992 International Film Festivals held in Mumbai were all organised at Metro.
The theatre is centrally air-conditioned with spacious chandeliered lobbies and employs more than 150 staff. It has won several awards from producers for best-managed theatre and for generating maximum revenue. Metro theatre has celebrated the maximum number of Silver Jubilees (consecutive run of a movie for 25 weeks) and Golden Jubilees (consecutive run of a movie for 52 weeks).
On the DTS sound system, D’Souza says, "I found the sound becomes sharp, crisp and clear. In fact, we say that with DTS you can hear the sound of silence." He also says there is a crying need for single sound format films. If films come in one format and not the other, the exhibitor is at a great disadvantage. Theatres in bigger cities would absorb these films but smaller theatres in minor towns might be able to afford only one format and thus lose out if the film is not produced in that format.
D’Souza, speaking of plans afoot to develop Metro into a multiplex observes that "Multiplexes are a new mantra that every exhibitor feels will change his fortunes." However, he also warns that the pace of production and the sustaining power of films, which are both on a decline, may make it a distributor’s market where the demand will far outstrip the supply.
