After 19 years DDLJ bids adieu from Maratha Mandir Theater

The romantic Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol musical DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE better known as DDLJ finally bid adieu from Mumbai’s majestic Maratha Mandir cinema after creating the unbeatable record run by any movie around the world. The movie ran uninterrupted for over 20 years! The only movie that came ‘little’ close to its hurricane record is Amitabh Bachchan’s SHOLAY that run for five years at Mumbai’s Minerva Cinema hall. 

On Thursday February 19, 2015 the Management of Maratha Mandir played the last show of DDLJ at 9.15 a.m. thus curtailing the historic 1009 weeks run at the cinema hall.

Listen to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge songs on Raaga.com

The reason behind the movie being removed according to Yash Raj films is that the theatre management had pre-poned the movie’s timing from regular 11.30 a.m. to 9.15 a.m. As result the occupancy of the theatre had reduced drastically compelling the theatre management to remove the movie. 

Manoj Desai, Managing Director of Maratha Mandir theatre briefing the media said, “Earlier the movie had 40 to 50 per cent occupancy on weekdays and on the weekend it run for houseful. However post its 1000 weeks run the occupancy has reduced. We have 1105 seats in one screen and out of which hardly 100 to 200 seats used to get occupied so it doesn't made sense to run it any longer." 

He added, “To add salt to injury the tickets for DDLJ were sold at Rs 20, Rs 17 and Rs 15 - much cheaper than the prices charged by multiplexes hence it was inevitable to stop the screening.” 

Readers may recall on December 12, 2014, DDLJ completed 1000 weeks at the cinema and it was celebrated with great gusto with its lead actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol (despite injury in her leg) present at the theatre to celebrate the memorable occasion.

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