Tight Security Ahead of SRK’s Film Release

Several nervous owners of multiplex and single-screen cinemas deferred advance bookings for the film on Wednesday, unsure whether the police would be able to provide adequate security.

Shiv Sena workers have been threatening cinema owners of dire action if they go ahead with the bookings and screening of the Shah Rukh film.

The Maharashtra government, under fire for its timid handling of threats by parties such as the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in recent months, has decided to act tough.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan warned that the Z-plus security provided to Uddhav Thackeray, the executive president of the Sena, would be withdrawn. The government withdrew the police guards provided to a few Sena legislators who had tried to demonstrate during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Mumbai last week.

Stung by Chavan’s remarks, Uddhav on Tuesday night offered to send back the police personnel provided to ensure the security of Bal Thackeray – his father and party founder – and his own. But scores of policemen continued to remain present at Matoshree, the heavily-fortified Thackeray household in Bandra.

Sena MPs and legislators also offered to do likewise, though none of them actually went ahead with their threats. State government sources said it was ridiculous for Sena leaders to instigate their goons to attack theatres, when they themselves feared stepping out of their homes without police guards.

Karan Johar, the director of My Name is Khan, had sought full protection for the 60-odd cinemas in Mumbai that are likely to screen the film beginning on Friday. Mumbai police chief D. Sivanandan has assured them security.

On Wednesday, police personnel had been posted outside most of the cinema theatres. Mumbai police had also deployed security-men from other State government forces, including home guards.

The crackdown on Sena activists began on Tuesday night and continued through Wednesday. The police have been picking up known trouble-makers and detaining them. They have also arrested dozens of Sena rowdies who had attacked a few theatres in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Worried that the party was being considered a spent force by Marathi-speaking people in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena recently decided to turn aggressive and began propagating its Mumbai-for-Marathis slogan.

It also began desperately searching for ‘enemies’ of Marathi-speaking people and latched on to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, for his innocuous comments regarding Pakistani cricketers, who have not figured in the third edition of the Indian Premier League.

Shah Rukh, who owns Kolkata Knight Riders, suggested he would have picked up Pakistani cricketers, if his team had a vacant slot.

The Shiv Sena began targetting him, dubbing him a traitor, and threatened to disrupt the screening of his film, if the actor failed to apologise to the party.

Refusing to succumb to such extra-constitutional authorities, Shah Rukh has defied the Shiv Sena and said he would not bow to such pressures.

The Shiv Sena, known for its hooliganism, is determined to make a token gesture of attacking a few cinemas and shutting them down, as it has now become a ‘prestigious’ issue in its fight with the MNS for the dwindling support of Marathi voters.

nithin@khaleejtimes.com