On 13th March, 1949, Liberty Cinema, the ‘Showplace of the Nation’ was inaugurated in Bombay’s Marine Lines. Founded by Habib Hoosein, a cotton trader by profession but a cinephile in spirit, the cinema was named in honour of India’s independence from British rule in 1947. It became the first cinema dedicated to Hindustani films, at a time when most theatres in the area were playing English pictures. The history of this picture palace, in many ways, is the history of Hindi cinema post-independence. In its heyday, its evenings were full of galas, blockbuster premiers and the biggest stars and directors sashaying in and out of its premises. The mini theatre on the top floor of the Liberty building has hosted many a soirées, edit trials and film screenings for some of the biggest names in Bombay’s film industry since the 1950s. Until recently, it was also the venue for censor board screenings. One way or another, the fate of a film was often decided at the historic Liberty Cinema. Today, the theatre holds on under the guardianship of the Hoosein family, albeit with great difficulty in the face of mounting running costs and competition from multiplexes.
This film is a tribute to the ‘Showplace of the Nation’, and to its makers and custodians Habib and Nazir Hoosein, the father and son duo that gave the city one of its most distinct modern Art Deco picture palaces. Listen to Nazir Hoosein’s voice, from an oral history recorded one year prior to his death in 2019, juxtaposed with the memories of his beloved staff. We hope you enjoy it.
Nazir Hoosein interview, archival photos and Liberty clip from forthcoming film: © and courtesy Vani Subramanian and Mary N. Woods
Music Courtesy: Classic Piano, 1940’s – Film 4492, Huntley Film Archives