BJP workers protest against Bajirao Mastani, some screenings stopped

MUMBAI: Protests by BJP workers and some Hindu outfits led to cancellation of some shows of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Bajirao Mastani in Pune on Friday.

At least four cinemas in Pune district were forced to cancel the screening of the movie that the protesters alleged has distorted history.

The morning show at City Pride cinema at Kothrud was cancelled after protest by BJP workers. Police officials in Pune said there was no vandalism by BJP workers but the theatre management itself decided to cancel the shows. The management has decided to cancel three shows at the theatre.

However, there was trouble in another theatre, Mangla, in Pune where activists of the Patit Pawan Sanghatana, a radical Hindu outfit, barged in to the theatre complex and tore up the posters of Bajirao Mastani and threw eggs. Following this, the theatre management decided to cancel three shows in the day.

Protests by BJP Yuva Morcha forced Big Cinemas in Pimpri-Chinchwad to stop screening of Bajirao Mastani while Padma Theatre in Kolhapur also cancelled screening of the movie due to protests. The BJP's youth wing also got in to the act by threatening to disrupt a show at Pimpri-Chinchwad which led to the management of Big Cinemas in Pimpri-Chinchwad deciding to stop the screening of the movie.

Police officials said policemen are now being posted in all the theatres and mutliplexes that screen the movie in Pune.