PPS may stoke Fire 8230; with cuts

PUNE, Dec 4: The raging Fire'' has now engulfed Patit Pawan Sanghatana and the Shiv Sena with both organisations caught in the inferno ...

PUNE, Dec 4: The raging 8220;Fire8221; has now engulfed Patit Pawan Sanghatana and the Shiv Sena with both organisations caught in the inferno over the screening of the controversial movie.

Softening its stand, the PPS today gave indications that it may allow the screening of movie with certain cuts.

8220;We have a meeting fixed for Saturday evening where we will consider if the movie can be allowed to be screened with specific cuts,8221; said Patit Pavan Sanghathna8217;s Sandeep Khardekar, the man who shot ahead of the Shiv Sena, in the race to ban the movie.

On the other hand Shiv Sena district chief Nirmala Kendhe sternly refused any grounds of compromise and vowed for not letting the film run under any circumstances in any movie hall in the city for all the the ashlilta that it contains.8217; She said,8220;A quot;Shiv Sena sisterquot; from the city who went to see the movie on Thursday is reported to be still reeling under the shock. I have not been well so I have been unable to see the film, but I was told it is not fit for viewership.quot; However, when apprised of Khardekar8217;s plans she said, quot;We may allow the movie to run if they cut out all scenes of sex between women8221;.

It may be noted that the thirteen women8217;s groups in the city including Alochana, Bharatiya Mahila Federation, Janwadi Mahila Sanghatana, Nari Samata Manch, Masoom and Nigarani have demanded lifting the ban and police protection for theatres and the public, who wish to see the film.

In a joint press statement issued yesterday the groups condemned the manner in which the Shiv Sena forcefully stopped screening of the film at Mumbai and the subsequent ban in Pune where the film was being screened in West End theatre. Jeevak J. Kamble, manager, West End, said the decision to withdraw the movie was taken because proprietor R.K Modi who also owns the damaged New Empire in Mumbai, did not want to take any more risks.

He added that the Supreme Court intervention, if there is any, was being awaited by the theatre which still has the film8217;s print. Meanwhile, Shringar, distributors of Fire have provided West End with Parinda for the next one week. Nana Patekar is unfortunately not able to draw the crowds that Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das managed between the two of them. The theatre is biding time for Wajood the movie to be brought in next week.