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‘Don’t screen ‘Pathaan’: ABHM’s ultimatum to cinema owners
Activists call for a boycott of the film for ‘insulting’ the colour saffron, gather at a cinema hall in Agra, raising slogans against ‘Pathaan’ and its cast
AGRA Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) units in Agra and Mathura on Friday issued an ‘ultimatum’ to cinema hall owners that they would be responsible for any damage to their property, if the Shahrukh Khan-starrer ‘Pathaan’ is screened.
The activists called for a boycott of the film for ‘insulting’ the colour saffron and gathered at a cinema hall adjoining the Delhi-Kanpur bypass road in Agra on Friday afternoon, raising slogans against ‘Pathaan’ and its cast.
Police reached the spot when they attempted to burn the effigy of the movie stars. Despite the cops snatching away the effigy, the activists later claimed that they burnt it successfully.
“The use of ‘bhagwa’ colour (saffron), considered sacred by Hindus, in such indecent manner in the song of the movie has hurt our religious sentiments. We are pained by the Censor Board allowing such scenes and thus will not allow the screening of ‘Pathaan’ at any theatre when it is released,” said Sanjay Jat, spokesperson for ABHM while leading the protest in Agra.
“We pasted a ‘written ultimatum’ at the cinema hall warning the owners that they will be responsible for any damage to their property, if they screen the movie,” he added.
“The indecent use of saffron colour in the movie is an insult to ‘sanatan dharma’ (Hindu religion). ABHM national president Rajyshree Chaudhary has ordered all 735 district presidents of the outfit pan India to oppose ‘Pathaan’ in their respective districts, till this objectionable song showing indecent use of saffron clothes by Deepika Padukone and Shahrukh Khan is not deleted from the movie,” stated Dinesh Sharma, Mathura-based national treasurer of ABHM.
