NEW DELHI, December 3: It took a group of 10-odd Shiv Sainiks and pieces of broken glass for cinema hall managements in the Capital to decide that they had played with Fire long enough.After a mob went on the rampage at Regal Cinema in Connaught Place this morning, two theatres (PVR Anupam and Regal) screening Deepa Mehta's controversial film decided to withdraw it. So, like in Mumbai, despite there being no ban on the film, Fire is off the screens.Around half an hour after the matinee show began at Regal, a group of 10-12 Sainiks, including women, armed with sticks and rods barged into the theatre. What followed was 15 minutes of a systematic attack on the booking counter, shattering of glass panes and breaking of doors in the hall. The rioters apparently did not even spare the stools and dustbins. Glass panes in the restaurant adjacent to Regal were also smashed in the process.Security guards and the management managed to contain the mob and the screening of the movie continued till the end. Police sirens 15 minutes after the destruction began finally scared away the rioters.In the chaos that followed, neighbouring shopkeepers downed their shutters till Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were posted in the area.According to Mohammed Aslam, a neighbouring shopkeeper: ``The rioters claimed to be Shiv Sainiks and bragged that just as they had managed to stop the screening of the movie in Mumbai, they would do the same here.'' Dhruv Chand Pathak was arrested under Section 148 (rioting, armed with weapon) from the area. According to the police, Pathak was waiting outside the hall and joined in the rioting later. He has been released on bail. An FIR has been lodged at the Connaught Place Police Station. The news of the destruction at Regal reached PVR Anupam when the screen in auditorium four had just lit up with Fire. An hour after the 12.50 p.m. show began, the picture of Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das playing stapu faded. And, it never came back. Instead, an announcement was made by the management, following which the hall was vacated.``They said that the screening of the film was being discontinued, apologised and asked everybody to collect their refund,'' said Gaurav Gupta. ``There were no protests. People just emptied the hall, queued up and collected the refund''.R C Shukla, manager of the multiplex, said: ``It is the decision of the management. We don't want to screen the movie.'' His colleague Prashant Srivastav explained: ``Our prime concern is the safety of our patrons. An incident like the one at Regal Cinema directly threatens the audience and we don't want to take a chance''.So, while the refund was being handed out, small notices were put up informing the people that the ``screening of Fire had been discontinued''. Posters of Fire were taken off, the distribution of schedules was stopped and the whole lot was sent for reprinting. The management's ``Douse the Fire'' action plan ended with the arrival of police personnel.``We are here on standby to prevent a repeat of the Regal incident,'' said Hira Lal, ACP (Hauz Khas). ``Our men are here to ensure that screenings are not disrupted in this cinema hall.''For Fire's leading lady Shabana Azmi, the withdrawal was only to be expected. ``It is natural on the part of theatre owners to withdraw the film after violent incidents,'' Azmi explained. ``The government is not going to give any compensation for the damages incurred by the owners. People have a right to protest but they should do so peacefully. But the Shiv Sena has no right to ban the film''.Satyam will replace Fire with Armageddon tomorrow. But the management said that this change is as per its schedule and has nothing to do with the Regal incident. At Regal, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das will be replaced with Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla in Jhooth Bole Kauva Kate.
