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‘Chhapaak’ not screened in Aligarh as banners ‘warn’ cine-goers
AGRA Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Chhapaak’ was not screened across theatres in Aligarh on Friday amidst warning by a Hindutva group opposing the movie.
AGRA Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Chhapaak’ was not screened across theatres in Aligarh on Friday amidst warning by a Hindutva group opposing the movie.
The group had put up banners, asking viewers to come only after getting their ‘insurance’ done.
Samajwadi Party activists reached these cinema halls and criticised the groups for opposing the film and issuing threats to cinema-goers.
“Cinema hall owners have not screened the movie ‘Chhapaak’ on Friday. Sufficient security measures were in place. Two sub- inspectors, four constables and a leopard mobile police squad was deployed at these multiplexes. We were taking rounds at multiplexes and cinema halls to review security, but hall owners chose not to screen the movie,” stated Anil Samania, circle officer (III) Aligarh.
Pooja Gautam, state secretary of Samajwadi Party, reached a cinema hall, which did not screen the film.
“I came here to watch ‘Chhapaak’, but movie hall owners were terrorised and thus did not screen the movie. Those opposing the movie should be sensitive towards acid attack survivors – the subject of the movie,” she said.
“It was not a crime on part of actress Deepika Padukone to visit JNU. The administration in Aligarh failed to assure security to movie hall owners who opted not to screen the movie,” stated Ranjeet Chaudhary, district president of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha.
On Thursday, banners were placed at cinema halls by an outfit ‘Hinduvadi Neta’, issuing threats that they would neither watch the movie ‘Chhapaak’ nor would allow others to watch it.
The banners also stated that ‘Ms Padukone had thrown acid on the face of nationality’.
These posters were removed overnight and were nowhere to be seen on Friday, but they did the damage as cinema hall owners decided not to screen the movie despite security measures.
CAPTION The ‘warning banner’ placed at a cinema hall in Aligarh on Thursday.
