John’s dandiya night falls through

Organisers applied for permission too late, so show had to be cancelled.

With the release of Jhootha Hi Sahi pushed ahead to October 22, the film’s cast, John Abraham and Pakhi, along with director Abbas Tyrewala and producer Madhu Mantena, have gone into a promotional overdrive. On the first evening of Navratri, they turned up in traditional wear, at Juhu’s Tulip Star hotel to play dandiya with their fans. But to everyone’s disappointment, the show ended even before it had begun because the organisors, Roman Navratri Utsav, hadn’t got the requisite permission.

HT Image

Confirming the news, a livid Mantena informs that it was to be one of the biggest Navratri nights in the city. “We were on our way when the organisers called to say that they had to cancel. It’s sad that the festivities began on such a sour note for us,” he rues.

Madhukar Chowdhry, senior inspector, Santa Cruz Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the hotel falls, said that the organisers had applied for permission only on Friday morning when they should have done it at least a fortnight ago. “Giving clearance is a time-consuming procedure as the file is sent from the police station to the deputy commissioner’s office and then to the office of the police commissioner. Since they applied only that morning, it must not have reached the DCP in time,” he reasons.

John