Belagavi: Controversial Marathi film Marathi Tigers was screened amidst tight security at Shinoli village in Maharashtra, close to Karnataka border, on Friday after theatre owners refused to screen it in Belagavi.
Although pro-Maharashtra groups arrived in massive numbers to see the film, only 500 could watch it as the Kolhapur district administration has allowed just one show a day in Shinoli starting Friday and the makeshift theatre, especially erected to screen it here, can accommodate only this number.
Some of the locals who watched the film in the makeshift theatre, said it re-enacted several violent incidents of the past on the border in which activists and leaders of the MES were at the receiving end. The violence in which many pro-Maharashtra activists were injured during the removal of a ‘Maharashtra state’ board at Yellur is the highlight of the film. It claims that Marathi people on the border are being mistreated by the Karnataka government and describing them as Marathi Tigers, says they will continue their struggle for merger of several areas on Karnataka's border with Maharashtra.
But the film's producers are in a dilemma with the Kolhapur district administration not allowing them to screen it the whole day at Shinoli as they had hoped to reach out to a larger audience.
Sources said the authorities had taken the decision to limit screenings to prevent a huge gathering of people and a law and order situation.
They appear to have succeeded as they have put a spoke in the plans of pro-Maharashtra groups to take people in large numbers from Belagavi to Shinoli to view the film. Activists are now reportedly trying to screen the film in Belagavi despite the obvious risks involved in such a move.
