Anupam Kher’s play organisers allege police disrupted show for passes

The performance of Anupam Kher’s play, Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Thha, on Sunday at Kamani Auditorium was preceded by almost two hours of drama and discussion between the police and the organisers. READ: Anupam Kher 'overwhelmed' with response to 'Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha'Sanjoy K Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts, which was managing the show here, alleges that the “cops sealed the venue and threatened to cancel the event because we did not give them passes for the show.” He says that around Sunday afternoon, some cops came and barricaded the area outsideKamani, prohibiting the entry of guests who were coming to collect their tickets, on the grounds that “they didn’t have some necessary approvals and permissions.” Says a production executive from Sanjoy’s team who was present at the venue, “Kamani Auditorium comes under the list of 23 licensed venues that the Delhi government has issued recently for ticketed events in the city, and all the permissions and licenses were procured well in advance and submitted to the police. On Saturday, the first day for the show at Kamani, two cops came and asked for some passes, which we couldn’t give as it was a sold out show.”“The show went on as per schedule on Saturday, but on Sunday afternoon, the police came and started barricading the area, not allowing people to enter to collect tickets for the show. Even the crew was not allowed to enter and there was utter confusion. Sanjoy then spoke to senior cops, and six passes were given out,” says the production executive. Sanjoy Roy confirms that six passes were given to the police. The show took place on time, without any delay. “Asking for passes is very common, and we do give out passes, but in this case, our limitation was that it was a totally sold out show. But on Sunday, I had to speak to senior cops and six passes were given,” says Sanjoy, who also wrote on his Facebook page, “Delhi Police at its worst! I get a call from my colleagues at Kamani where we are presenting a play with Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta saying the cops have sealed the venue because we did not give them passes. My mind boggles at the fact that on one hand the Delhi administration claims that they want to build an international city... on the other hand they behave like a tin pot dictatorship, disgraceful! Between the fringe lunatics and the junior cops perhaps we should shut down all cultural events and stop calling ourselves a cultured society!!! superbly annoying !” Anupam Kher, the producer of the play, says that he was informed about this “but does not have all the details.” He says, “I only reached one hour before the performance and Sanjoy did mention it to me. But I don’t know what the case exactly was.” SP Mishra, manager of Kamani Auditorium, says, “I was not here on Sunday and don’t have details, but from what I’ve heard, the police was just ensuring security at the event.”For security, not for passes: PoliceA senior Delhi Police official, requesting anonymity, tells us, “Our cops didn’t go there asking for passes. It was for security reasons. Even when the Pakistani artistes performed at Kamani, we had gone to check if there were any unscrupulous people wandering around or trying to gain entry into the venue to disrupt proceedings. Even at that time, we were blamed for trying to stop the show, but we have to ensure that security is not compromised. We have to look at the sensitivity of the situation as well as the artistes who are performing. The organisers are exaggerating the issue.”For latest Theatre updates follow us on Twitter >>> @TOIEntertainFor the latest in Theatre news, like us on Facebook >>> TOIEntertain