‘Kaala’ stirs anger in Karnataka
Police guard cinemas as pro-Kannada activists protest the release of the Rajinikanth’s film
detained by police during their Bengaluru on Thursday. Rajinikanth’s latest film
Kaala was shown in a dozen theatres and six multiplexes in Bengaluru amid tight security after protesters were whisked away and detained, police said.
“Some theatres and multiplexes started screening the film after about 300 protesters were taken away and detained in police stations across the city,” a police officer said.
Hundreds of fans thronged multiplexes such as Inox, PVR, Lido and Garuda in the city to watch the movie on the first day after the exhibitors avoided screening it in the morning and afternoon due to protests by activists from pro-Kannada organisations. Earlier in the day, more than 100 theatres and multiplexes across Karnataka deferred screening the film amid protests against the film over Rajinikanth’s pro-Tamil Nadu stance on the Cauvery river water sharing issue.
“It’s business as usual since evening as the protesters kept away and presence of police personnel made hundreds of fans to come and watch the movie under tight security,” a multiplex manager said. As directed by the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, the state government deployed police personnel at the theatres and multiplexes for the protection of fans and safety of public property after the activists urged distributors and exhibitors to avoid screening the film.—