Durban — In its heyday, between the 1960s and 1980s, the Raj Cinema building provided a platform for a galaxy of stars to feature at this popular Durban movie house’s big screen.
There was also an occasion on February 1, 1963, when internationally acclaimed singer Cliff Richard belted out some of his hit songs at this Prince Edward Street venue.
If you were in the mood for action, drama, romance or Western flicks in an era where the internet was unheard of, then you would have considered the Raj Cinema’s offerings.
Venturing there usually meant dressing in your Sunday best.
The cinema building has been standing since 1960 and owned for a long time by Raj Bodasing from a pioneering business family.
It has since been re-configured to suit clothing and grocery stores.
Yet, it once was a social hub. Large crowds from all parts of Durban gathered there, especially when blockbuster movies were on show. It had a few name and ownership changes in its latter years (1990s) before it was curtains for this movie house.
For much of this venue’s prime years, Mahomed “MG” Gany had a ringside seat to the goings-on there.
MG’s father Ahmed rented space adjacent to the cinema’s foyer in February 1963 to run what became the well-known Raj Music store.
As Gany got more accustomed to the vinyl LP (long playing) business, he operated the popular Underground Den, also located in the Grey Street Casbah precinct, specialising in “underground music”, and playing beats from artists like Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Hendrix.
MG said his father was on the hunt for premises when, while buying “smokes” from Gino’s Cafe, across the road from the Raj Cinema, he got wind of available space in the movie house.
He met Jimmy Cook, the cinema manager, who directed him to the owners, African Consolidated Theatres, a company based on Anton Lembede (Smith) Street.
MG said Raj Music was named after the building and the cinema took the name of the building’s owner.
His father hastened to have the shop open on February 1, 1963 because Cliff Richard was due there for a matinee performance.
“I was 10 at the time. The cinema could seat as many as 1 000. It was a full house with people also standing in the aisles.”
MG said news of Richard’s visit spread quickly and Prince Edward Street had to be closed because of the many men, women and children who converged for a glimpse of the singer and his band, The Shadows.
“Cliff and the band were concealed in a police van that was driven into a passageway leading to the cinema.”
One of the crowd-pulling movies MG recalled was Charade, which featured Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant with music by Henry Mancini.
“I loved Audrey Hepburn,” said MG.
Ishaan Blunden, an avid movie goer in the ’70s, remembered fondly the crowds for Bruce Lee’s karate movie Enter the Dragon, which showed for well over a month.
“The Raj was responsible for the movie’s Durban launch and people had to sit in the aisles at times. When shows were sold out, you could land some tickets outside on the black market.”
Afterwards, Blunden said, grabbing a meal from restaurants like Hansa’s, on the corner of Prince Edward and Grey Streets, was a tradition.
For freelance editor and book publisher Ravi Govender, the “spirit of Raj Cinema lingers fondly”.
“It was hugely popular as they specialised in double features.
“A colourful character named ‘Bunny’ kept order inside and outside. He was an amiable, but take-no-nonsense character.”
For Govender, two memories stood out; the madcap antics of the notorious “Kill Roy” during his regular visits, and an enterprising vendor selling his wares from a wooden tray strapped around his neck.
The box was always covered with a cloth.
“When he approached a potential buyer, the vendor pulled off the cloth with a flourish like a magician does, to unveil a cornucopia of spirituous delights.
“No snacks there: instead there were little nip bottles of the alcohol of your choice…
“To put it simply, you could enjoy the double feature with a ‘double’.”
Independent on Saturday