People of Gujarat will not be able to watch Parzania in multiplexes as owners decided not to screen it due to fears of vandalism.
AHMEDABAD: The people of Gujarat will not be able to watch 'Parzania', the film based on a Parsi boy who went missing during the communal violence of 2002, in multiplexes as owners on Tuesday decided not to screen it due to fears of vandalism despite police assuring their safety.
The decision dejected the film's young director Rahul Dholakia, who has been making efforts to screen it in Gujarat since January 26, when it was released across the country.
At a meeting with the Multiplex Owners Association on Tuesday, Dholakia was informed that they would not screen the movie in their theatres. This was despite an assurance by city Police
Commissioner J Mahapatra that multiplexes showing the movie would be protected.
"I am very sad at the development. This movie is about a Gujarati boy who is missing from this state. When the people of the country are watching this movie, why can't the people of Gujarat watch in cinema halls?" the disappointed director said.
"I cannot understand how a movie can shake the secular foundation of Gujarat," said Dholakia, himself a Gujarati.
"Multiplex owners told us in the meeting that they fear some kind of vandalism if the movie is screened in the multiplexes of Ahmedabad. Hence, they have refused to screen the movie," he said.
Most of Gujarat's multiplexes are in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot, and all of them have decided not to screen the movie due to fears of vandalism.
The Bajrang Dal had warned it would disrupt any attempt to screen the movie if it hurt Hindu sentiments.
Single-screen theatres represent a ray of hope for Dholakia, who said he would approach owners of such establishment and go ahead with the screening even if a single hall was ready to show the movie.
Earlier, the Multiplex Owners Association had indicated that Parzania would be screened in Gujarat from February 9.
The film was to be specially screened for the Multiplex Owners Association of Ahmedabad by Dholakia before its release. However, the Association demanded that the movie should also be shown to Bajrang Dal leaders.
Dholakia said he did not agree to screen the movie for Bajrang Dal leaders, adding that they are not the authority.
His group approached Police Commissioner J Mahapatra for protection. "The police commissioner gave us an assurance about providing necessary protection to multiplexes of the city for screening of the film," Dholakia said.
"In spite of this assurance of protection, the multiplex owners have decided not to screen the movie. This means they are being directed by somebody to do that," he alleged.
Asked who was directing them to stop the screening of the movie, Dholakia said, "They have not told me. But it is obvious that somebody is doing that."
Multiplex Owners Association President Manubhai Patel said, "As the movie is on the subject of the Godhra riots, we feel it is likely to create problems if shown in multiplexes. We have decided not to screen the movie.
"The police commissioner assured us of protection but we have decided not to screen the movie taking into consideration the nature of the movie," Patel said.
Dholakia's group is thinking of alternative means to legally screen the movie in the state.
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