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Man lights cigarette inside Gurgaon theatre during ‘Dhurandhar’ screening, gets thrown out

In the now-viral video, the man can be seen lighting his cigarette and smoking openly.

Theatre staff approached him, and after a brief argument, escorted him out of the auditorium, the report stated (Image source: @ranveersingh/Instagram)

A man was caught smoking and allegedly consuming alcohol in the first row of a Gurgaon theatre during a screening of Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar.” The incident occurred on December 5 at a Miraj Cinemas outlet and has sparked concerns about public safety and civic sense in India.

In the now-viral video, the man can be seen lighting his cigarette and smoking openly. According to NDTV, the man was escorted out after fellow moviegoers complained of smoke and smell. Theatre staff approached him, and after a brief argument, escorted him out of the auditorium, the report stated.

The video has since gone viral across social media platforms, drawing criticism. “It’s pathetic how shameless some people can be,” a user wrote. “as a country, we need to hit bottom really fast. this slow killing is unbearable. let there be some huge chaos so the only way is up,” another user commented.

“I went to see a movie recently and the three guys in front of me vaped through the entire film,” a third user claimed. “I was there at the theatre for the 11pm show on Friday. They were too annoying, i expected some more protest from the fellow movie watchers, but none of them raised their voice tbh,” a fourth user said.

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Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), smoking in public spaces, including cinema halls, auditoriums, and other entertainment venues, is strictly prohibited.

The law also mandates theatres to display “No Smoking” signs prominently, with owners or managers potentially liable if they fail to enforce the ban.

Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, is taking both the internet and theatres by storm. Featuring an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt, the film released on December 5.