BJP MLA Raja Singh threatens Hyderabad cinema halls against screening Padmaavat

Hyderabad: Some theatre managers have been orally ordered not to screen the film Padmavat by Goshamahal BJP MLA Raja Singh. Mr Singh boasted to this newspaper that he has informed the management of four theatres in and around his constituency not to screen the movie and if they do, there would be protests from the Karni Rajputs.

The film has been banned in MP and Gujarat, both of which have BJP governments but the Yogi Adityanath government in UP has said it won’t stop the film’s release. Since TS has not banned the film, Mr Singh’s diktat is in open defiance of the government. The movie will be hitting the screens on January 25.

“I have personally met the managers of Ramakrishna, Santosh-Sapna, Maheshwari-Paramesh-wari and Venkataramana theatres, located in and around my constituency and asked them not to screen the movie. They have been told not to buy the movie because they will incur a loss, as it won’t be allowed to play,” he said.

Managers of these theatres refused to comment.

Mr Singh said there were about 15 lakh Rajputs in the city, “They have informed to protest against theatres in other constituencies screening the movie. I am yet to meet the Chief Minister to request him to ban the movie,” he said.

Asked about this, vice-president of the Telangana State Film Chambers of Commerce V.L. Sridhar said there was no clarity on the distributors who have purchased the film. “The movie is not banned in TS and is likely to run be screened as the Censor Board has cleared it.”

Police commissioner V.V. Srinivas said, “If the film releases with the government’s approval, the police will provide protection.”