Sena attacks theatres to douse Fire

As a precautionary measure owners of New Empire, the other theatre showing the film, have also decided to stop screening the film. While owners of both cinema halls were not available for comment, Express Newsline found that the Goregaon police had booked 10 people under “offence of rioting” and 10 to 11 more cases expected to be filed tonight.

TheAghadi workers were accompanied by two Shiv Sena vibhag pramukhs, Vinod Khopkar and Prakash Bhuvad and one MLA, Ravindra Mirlekar.

“The manager of Cinemax sealed the reel of the film in a box in front of us. In fact some of us met the manager of New Empire and he did the same. Posters of the film have also been taken off from the premises of New Empire and the ticket fares have been returned to viewers,” Kambli told Express Newsline.

The Mahila Aghadi has now decided to halt the screening of the film all over the state. Commenting on today’s disruption Shyam Shroff of Shringar Films which is distributing the film in Western India said that it was very sad more so as the “film was doing well only in Mumbai. A lot of women have loved it. Who’s going to speak for them? I would have understood if someone went to court over it but why use force?” he said. Shroff said that he would now get in touch with Mehta for future course of action. Today’s incident has however evoked severe condemnation from severalquarters.

“This entire jingbang should get its head checked first. What’s wrong in two women having sex? If they think it doesn’t happen in the Indian society they should see the sculptures of Khajuraho or Konark,” said gay activist Ashok Rao Kavi.

Director Mahesh Bhatt was equally peeved at the high-handed manner in which the film has been taken off both the cinema houses. “I have been saying this for a while but I will say this again: This is a cultural emergency. Is the censor board now going to stand up for the producer since it has given him a certificate? Lesbianism is a universal, human tendency and not an import from the west. If people don’t wish to watch the film they won’t. Why force anyone?” he said.An eight-member delegation of the Aghadi had met the cultural affairs minister, Pramod Navalkar, yesterday to demand a ban on the film. Taking exception to the theme of lesbianism, they petitioned: “If women’s physical needs get fulfilled through lesbian acts, the institution of marriage willcollapse…reproduction of human beings will stop.”

Navalkar has forwarded the delegation’s letter to the chairperson of the censor board and the Prime Minister. “It is for them to decide,” he said. When contacted today the minister said the Goregaon incident " can’t be condemned." A source in his office, however, said it would be difficult for the government to ban the film since it has won so many awards.

Among other things, the Aghadi had taken objections to the scene in which a character watches a blue film and masturbates and yet another scene in which a Chinese says, “Indians bahut gande hote hain.” The Aghadi is especially peeved with Shabana Azmi, one of the stars in the film. “How can a Rajya Sabha MP expose on the screen?” wondered one. Navalkar endorsed the view. “I have no doubts about Shabana’s talents but being a public figure she should not have done it. ” he said. Meanwhile Kambli, having tasted blood today has trained her guns on yet another film, Satya, saying that suchviolent films should not be tolerated.