‘Madhumita Hall was upgraded for the long haul’

Rumours of closure continue to swirl around Madhumita, one of Dhaka's oldest and most iconic cinema halls, located in Motijheel. Having celebrated its golden jubilee just three years ago, Madhumita has been a cornerstone of the city's moviegoing culture since its inauguration on December 1, 1967.

The hall has stood as a witness to generations of cinema lovers, but periodic whispers of its permanent closure often stir concern among its loyal audiences. 

Addressing the matter, Madhumita's owner Iftekhar Uddin Noushad reassured fans in a statement to The Daily Star. "I have never said that I would permanently shut down the theatre," he said. "It may have been closed temporarily for various reasons. Just recently, I spent crores of taka to upgrade the hall. I'll be fixing the cinema screen again soon." 

"The AC has been broken for the past week, and many people have complained about it. Repair work is underway, and I hope it will be fixed in the next few days. Am I doing all this just to shut it down?"

Iftekhar Uddin Noushad. Photo: Star

Currently, the cinema hall is screening "Taandob", a film starring Shakib Khan and directed by Raihan Rafi. "The movie is now running into its third week after completing two weeks of shows. It's doing quite well," Noushad noted.

"At times, film piracy led to a slight drop in audience numbers, but things are back to normal now. Shakib Khan's films do good business. They've helped sustain the cinema hall business for a long time."

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Looking ahead, Noushad confirmed that "Utshob", directed by Tanim Noor, will begin screening at Madhumita next week. "Part of the movie was actually shot inside Madhumita Hall," he added.