In view of the release of Bollywood film ‘Padmaavat’ in UP on January 25, the state government ordered a high-level security at all cinema theatres asking respective district police to provide security to cinegoers and theatre owners. A top UP police official said in Lucknow on Tuesday that appropriate security arrangements would be made at all cine theatres where the film would be screened. “We are committed to ensuring law and order and will not allow anyone to take law into their hands,” the official said without saying much on the matter.
Organisations protesting against the film release have, however, appealed to all movie house owners not to screen the controversial film in the state.
Members of Karni Sena and others staged a violent protest in Hapur, ransacked a cinema hall in Pilkhua on Monday and handed out threatening letters to theatre owners in different cities.
A report from Agra said that an outfit had threatened to blow up the cinema hall screening the film. Members of Karni Sena burnt ‘Padmaavat’ posters and staged a protest against the movie’s release in Lucknow on Sunday and said: “We will protest in front of every theatre and urge the owners not to screen the movie.”
Effigy of film producer-director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was burnt in several cities of the state.
Recently, the Supreme Court stayed notifications issued by four states – Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat – to ban the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus.