Heavy police force outside lone cinema hall in 9 UP districts to screen Padmaavat

AGRA: On Wednesday, heavy police force was deployed around SARV multiplex on NH-2, which is the only cinema hall among the 26 in nine districts of Agra, Aligarh, Etah, Firozabad, Hathras, Mathura, Kasganj, Mainpuri and Farrukhabad which will be screening Padmaavat despite threats by Rajput Karni Sena.
For the movie, all the ‘Platinum’ tickets for two shows through online booking were sold out for advance screenings.
Speaking to TOI, owner of SARV multiplex Sarvprakash Kapoor said, “We had provided only online booking for Padmaavat tickets and over 65% of the seats were booked. When Supreme Court has given permission to screen the movie, I don’t understand why other multiplexes and single screen theatres have refused to release Padmaavat. If there is any objectionable scene in the movie which might hurt the sentiments of Rajputs, then we will remove it but first let’s watch it.”
When asked what security measures the multiplex has taken in case of possible attack by Karni Sena, Kapoor said, “We are coordinating with police and they have provided a pretty heavy force around the multiplex. We have full confidence in the local administration and nothing will go wrong during the screening of the movie.”
Interestingly, the ticket price for Padmaavat at SARV is double the usual cost for a movie.
Meanwhile, Rajput Karni Sena men once again warned cinema hall owners in Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj and other districts to refrain from screening the movie. In Hathras, Sena men gave roses to cinema hall managers and asked them not to show the movie, while in Firozabad, the group burned an effigy of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and allegedly threatened a cinema hall owner.
Manoj Gupta of Satkar Talkies in Firozabad said, “Until and unless Karni Sena allows screening of the movie, or the district administration assures us of full protection, we will not release the movie.”
District magistrate Neha Sharma and superintendent of police Manoj Kumar met cinema hall owners in Firozabad and asked them to release the movie, assuring them of full security.
Additional director general (law and order) Anand Kumar issued a statement which read, “All SHOs, circle officers and deputy superintendents of police must patrol sensitive areas and ensure that peace and tranquility is maintained. All local intelligence units must be on the alert and identify miscreants and anti-social elements which can create a ruckus. Police must talk to those groups likely to stage protests, and ensure that any demonstrations are peaceful.”