Bhopal’s Bajrang Dal joint-convenor Abhijeet Singh Rajput said the activists of his organization staged protests at three to four cinema halls, including Rangmahal and Bharat in the city, and got the posters removed. People were urged not to watch the movie, he said.
When asked, the owner of Rangmahal Cinema Hall, Ranveer Singh told PTI that the first show of Pathaan was canceled due to the protest, while other shows are being held normally.
In Indore, the activists of the Hindu Jagran Manch showed saffron flags at Sapna-Sangeeta cinema hall in protest against the movie and recited Hanuman Chalisa, eyewitnesses said, adding that some of them were also seen carrying sticks. Some of the protesters entered the theater and asked the audience to move out. The protesters said they would not allow the movie to be screened in the cinema hall.
Besides, Bajrang Dal activists also staged a protest against Pathan at Kastur cinema hall in the city and shouted slogans against Shah Rukh Khan. Police security was deployed at both the theaters in view of the protests by right-wing organisations.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dishesh Agrawal said, “Activists of the Hindu Jagran Manch and Bajrang Dal have been protesting against the film ‘Pathaan’. Hence, some of its morning shows were cancelled.”
Asked about further shows of the movie, he said an appropriate decision will be taken considering the law and order situation.
In Gwalior, the Bajrang Dal activists staged a protest and road blockade outside the multiplex located in Deendayal Mall. Eyewitnesses said that the police force didn’t allow the protesters to go inside so they staged a protest on the road. Bajrang Dal’s Gwalior district secretary Raju Goswami said that they held a peaceful protest to demand that the screening of the movie be stopped. The protest will be intensified later if the screening continues, he said.
Gwalior’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Sanghi said that police force was deployed at the cinema halls that were screening the movie and no show was canceled in the city.
The most awaited film in Indian cinema after a long, long time, Pathaan, is being screened in 8000 screens (Domestic – 5,500 Screens, Overseas – 2,500 Screens) worldwide across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu formats.
Pathaan is part of Aditya Chopra’s ambitious spy universe and has the biggest superstars of the country Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham init.
The hype around Pathan is unprecedented. A huge reason for the buzz around Pathan is because two of the biggest Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone have teamed up in Pathan. They are one of the most-loved on-screen pairings in the history of Indian cinema, given their epic blockbusters Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express and Happy New Year.