Film ‘inspired’ by Muzaffarnagar riots: Govt against screening in five districts, says producer

“It is a commercial film inspired by the 2013 riots. Officials in the Muzaffarnagar administration had seen the film and found nothing objectionable,” said Mandi. “An unwritten directive has been sent to cinema hall owners from the administrations of Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Bijnor, Saharanpur and Baghpat districts not to run the film,” he alleged.

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Muzaffarnagar East Additional District Magistrate Harish Chandra said, “We have not banned the film. Cinema hall owners are scared of screening it. Since (civic) elections will be held in the district, it could cause law and order problems.”

Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal, too, claimed there was no order to stop screening in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur. Similarly, ADMs in Bijnor and Baghpat, Madan Singh and Lokpal Singh, respectively, denied having issued any such directive.

However, Ramesh Gupta, who runs Novelty Cinema in Muzaffarnagar on contract, said: “Cinema hall owners in five districts have received an oral order from the administrations not to screen the film until the urban local body elections are over, as it could lead to law and order problem. To ensure peace, the owners have decided not to screen the film for now.”