Spl screening cancelled at some Lko theatres after stir
LUCKNOW: A day before the release of the controversial Bollywood film ‘Padmaavat’, several theatres and multiplexes in the state capital cancelled special premiere shows of the’ movie scheduled on Wednesday. They took the step after vigilante groups allegedly resorted to vandalism and a youth attempted self-immolation outside a multiplex in Lucknow. The special shows were cancelled at Wave, Inox, SRS Mall (all in Gomti Nagar) and Novelty theatre in Aliganj.
Ashish Agarwal, general secretary of UP Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association, confirmed some shows were cancelled. But the film was screened at some other places, including all PVR cinemas and Novelty Lalbagh, he added. At Novelty Lalbagh, the special show was held with heavy police security outside the theatre, he said.
The vigilante groups remained present outside the Lalbagh theatre during the show but protested peacefully.
The management of several malls and theatres are still apprehensive about the movie’s regular shows scheduled on Thursday. The police arrested five people, including some Lucknow University students supposedly associated with vigilante groups for allegedly resorting to vandalism at Inox mall in Gomti Nagar.
The police resorted to a cane charge when hundreds of youths gathered outside Gomti Nagar police station demanding release
of the arrested people.
Those arrested were identified as Anurag Tewari, Vishal Singh, Shubham Bajpai, Vinod Singh and Jitendra Kumar Pandey, police said.
Tewari, who is law student of Lucknow University, tried to immolate himself by sprinkling kerosene on himself in front of Wave multiplex. The police foiled his attempt and the protestors dispersed after an assurance by the multiplex administration that they will not screen the film at their mall.
The mall administration even put a notice outside the mall to clarify that they were not screening the movie and sought to apologise
for the inconvenience caused by the decision. The vigilante groups were on the prowl in the city since Wednesday morning and staged protests at multiple places. Earlier in the day, the group protested outside Novelty theatres in Lalbagh and Aliganj and even vandalised shops.
TROUBLEMAKERS WILL BE DEALT WITH STERNLY: DM
District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said those trying to disrupt screening of the movie will be dealt with sternly. He said the administration could not do much if multiplexes or theatres decided to not screen the movie.