nice girls go to the cinema

In his autobiography, a country called childhoodDeepti Naval concludes the preface with her grandmother’s advice to girls in Amritsar, ‘Little girls from good homes never go to theatres across the street!’ Was in Amritsar. And these words were spoken by a woman of that generation when the ‘nice girls’ neither went to see the film nor acted in it. In Delhi, women have been smarter, and cinema halls are more friendly towards their female patrons.

In the past, it was not easy for a single woman to go to see a film. Not only was it considered unsafe, but there was also some degree of social disapproval attached to the act. Hardcore fans of cinema, who they were, women often found protection in numbers. They used to gather to watch movies in groups of six, neither too close, nor too far from their homes.

Those in immediate proximity were discarded to avoid being recognized by any neighbors or acquaintances. People with considerable distances were excluded because many women could not drive or could not afford to be outside for long periods of time. Realizing that they have a ready audience that needs a little encouragement, many single screen cinemas in Delhi started making separate boxes for their female audiences.

The box will be a separate enclosure entirely with its own entry and exit points. Here women could watch the film without the prying eyes of the male. Many people came with their children. Occasionally, a family with husband, wife and children could also be seen, although men, even with their wives, were not welcomed at all. There were instances when Usher would open the door in the middle of the movie for only the men to see! Some cinemas have even kept the price of box tickets less than the balcony.

It started with the Regal Cinema built in Connaught Place in 1932. The cinema hall, a favorite of Raj Kapoor and Shyam Benegal, used to have a 12-seater box just a few steps away from the photo gallery. It had high wooden panels on two sides and entrance and exit doors at the rear. It gave women the experience of the big screen, even if they were sitting in a family atmosphere with their friends. The box was highly prized and often tickets were sold out in advance.

Then there was the Ritz Cinema near the inter-state bus terminus, and not far from Nigambodh Ghat, which was known as the cremation ground. There is an interesting story related to this. When the Ritz opened back in 1932 (it was called the Capital before being called the Ritz in 1942) there were many no-sayers who believed that a cinema couldn’t function close to a cremation ground. The owners considered otherwise, and insisted that forget the pier, a cinema near ISBT would not only catch the floating hordes of daily commuters, it would also be not too far from the famous Chandni Chowk theatres.

Well, the Ritz worked, and well done. It also had a box for female audience, the management was so sure that not only men but also women would be willing to come to this theatre. Realizing that going to Jagat or Excelsior runs the risk of running into a nosy neighbour, the women would gather at Parda Bagh, the only women’s park, near Daryaganj. Once they gathered there, they would board a tonga or cycle rickshaw to get to the Ritz.

Interestingly, many Muslim women used to reach Parda Bagh. burqatake off Hijab Go there and see a movie. On their way back, they once again stopped at Parda Bagh, put on a burqa and went home. Everything was considered fair and good. Thanks to the female audience, films like noori (1979) and love never fail (1985) Jayanti ran here.

Jagat, which was run by the same management as the Ritz, also had a small box. Located close to Jama Masjid, Jagat was an expert in playing the role of a Muslim society till the 70s. Its patrons were from the traditional Nawab families of Old Delhi, the men would arrive in a Tongawomen in a palanquin, and were taken straight to the box to watch movies like Shama, Dayar-e-Madina And Pakeezah, Such was the charm of watching the film!

It was not only in the cinemas of Connaught Place or Old Delhi that women had the privilege of watching a film in secrecy. Even downtown halls such as Samrat and Gagan, which were built only in the early 1980s, had a similar facility. These halls were usually played for blue collar workers. Spices Entertainers and consequently, not many women came here to watch a movie.

Unwilling to lose a significant segment of the audience, cinemas created separate boxes for women, where they could sit without the omnipresent male gaze. In theatres, however, action films were largely screened and few women fare for their tastes. The compartments were often deserted. Soon, the boxes made way for the ‘noble’ category for women. In the ‘noble’ category, there were two front row reserves for women in the balcony section.

While such steps helped, they were never a complete solution. Over the weekend, there were many more female viewers than a box. Hence, from the early 80s, single screen cinemas saw separate queues for women at the advance booking counter and also at the time of entry.

The decision pleased the women, but did not go down well with many men as the hundred men queuing for tickets had unique spectacles, while there would be just a dozen women in their row! Some men were smart. He would walk into the queue of women, requesting if a woman could buy a couple of tickets for them too! Often, this secret deal went unnoticed.

That was another era, many years before online booking was introduced, and starting with Anupam in 1997, multiplexes became a way of life. Today, just a lonely Ritz here or a skyline there offers the lasting nostalgia of watching a film on the big screen from relative solitude. Regal, Jagat, Samrat and everyone else dropped their shutters. It’s been a long time since the show ended.