A total of 24 shops in the building, including Eros, all owned by the Cambata family, which also runs Cambata Aviation and Bird Worldwide Flight Service, were closed over non-payment of dues, on Wednesday



Watchman Dilip Adak outside the sealed theatre on Wednesday

The iconic 78-year-old Eros cinema in Churchgate, one of Mumbai’s landmarks, was sealed shut yesterday by the collector’s office, with shows of all the movies running there cancelled. A total of 24 shops in the building, including Eros, all owned by the Cambata family, which also runs Cambata Aviation and Bird Worldwide Flight Service, were closed.



The court order announcing the sealing of the premises

The state government had registered an FIR against the firm last week for non-cooperation with its officials, who had gone to the aviation company’s premises to seize equipment, following a court order to do so over non-payment of dues to its employees.

Pending payment

An employee, Prakash Jagtap, told mid-day, “A total of 2,700 employees have not got their salaries since March 2016. Also, for the last three years, the company has not deposited our PF and LIC premium. And for four years, we have not got any increment as per the company and recognised union agreement.”



People return disappointed after theatre and other shops in the building are closed. Pics/Suresh Karkera

“On June 2016, we moved the labour court. After a month, it gave an order that employees be paid their dues. And yet, the company didn’t give us anything,” he added.

Social worker Anjali Damania said, “The court passed an order last August, directing the suburban collector to seal the firm’s properties. It passed the same order again in September. Finally, action has been taken.”

“While the company says that dues worth only R4,45,14,633 have to be cleared, the truth is that it has to pay dues worth R100 crore,” she added.

Major losses

The manager of Eros said not a single screening could take place in the day and they had to refund a substantial amount for all the booked tickets.

“This was a sudden move from the collector’s office. At 10.30 am, the officer came and asked us to vacate the premises. After that, we started giving refunds to those who had booked tickets online,” said PP Muralidharan, the cinema’s manager of 25 years, adding that the move resulted in big losses for them in just a day.

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“We had to cancel four shows of OK Jaanu and XXX. This is the first time something like this has happened here, the first time we have had to say no to patrons.”

“I came here to watch Dangal only last week. We had no idea something like this was going to happen; I am really shocked... Eros is our favourite family spot, I hope it reopens soon,” said Vaila Fotria (29), who had come to book tickets for a night show.

Official speak

When mid-day contacted district collector Dr. Ashwini Joshi, she refused to comment.

A senior officer from the collector’s office, however, said, “We have sealed 24 shops in the building. And this is not a sudden move. We had sent a notice to Cambata Aviation last September.”

“We haven’t received any court notice yet to unseal the premises. Till it comes, the property belongs to the government,” the officer added.

Inputs by Hemal Ashar