Tension prevailed at Urvashi theatre on Lalbagh Road in Bangalore after the Kamal Haasan-starrer Vishwaroopam was screened for the morning show on Saturday. However, the police stopped the screening for the next show. According to the distributor, the film will be released in Karnataka on Sunday in about 40 theatres.
The decision to release the movie on Sunday was taken on Friday following directions from the police, who said providing security for screenings on Saturday would be difficult as police personnel would be involved in the Republic Day duties.
H.D. Gangaraj of Shakthi Enterprises, which is distributing the film in the old Mysore area, told The Hindu that lack of communication with the Urvashi theatre authorities led to the screening of the film on Saturday. “It was agreed that the film would be released only on Sunday,” he said.
When the police prevented the screening of the matinee show, many of the fans were angry as they had bought tickets online for the matinee show. The fans began to argue with the authorities. However, the police, who had asked the theatre authorities to stop the screening, did not budge from their stand.
“I have watched the movie in the morning show and there is nothing objectionable in it,” said Sagainathan, a plumber from Hosur Road. “I had bought tickets for the morning show and the noon show to watch them back-to-back. I always do it on the first day of a movie with my favourite star. Now, my record has been broken,” he rued.
Mani, a labourer from Wilson Garden, said: “I have spent the whole night to get a ticket to watch Kamal on the first day. Now it’s painful to return the ticket.”
This confusion (on screening) is nothing to do with a controversy in the movie, but for producers and distributors to make it more popular, he said.
While the Urvashi theatre management said that they would refund the amount, people who queued up to watch the movie remained disappointed.
A senior police officials from Kalasipalya police station felt the theatre management should have waited for one more day to avoid unwarranted confusion.
The Urvashi management refused to comment.
