Hyderabad, December 07: ‘The Dirty Picture’, starring Vidya Balan and Naseeruddin Shah, seems to have run into trouble with anti-obscenity activists disrupting screening of the film at several theatres in the state.
On Tuesday, more than 50 activists were arrested by police at Sai Raja theatre in Musheerabad at 11 am. While some activists immediately purchased tickets and got into the theatre a few others were taken into custody by the police.
Protests against the film for its alleged obscenity were organized in different parts of the state both on Monday and Tuesday. Though Sai Raja theatre continued with the screening of the movie, there are reports that activists have stalled the shows in Anantapur, Mancherial, Khammam, Guntur, Nizamabad, Srikakulam and Mahbubnagar. Some theatres reportedly have decided not to screen the film from Wednesday in the wake of protests.
“The promos being played out on television are indication enough of the content of the movie. We have seen even children queuing up to watch the film. When it is the responsibility of the police to check this, they arrested us and treated up badly,” said All India Students Federation (AISF) state general secretary G Eshwaraiah.
While issuing tickets, theatre managements should have verified the age of the person as those below 18 are barred from watching the film, since ‘The Dirty Picture’ has been given an ‘A’ (adults only) certificate, he said. Anti-obscenity activists also expressed their displeasure with the posters of the film being stuck practically everywhere, including near educational institutions and places of worship.
Demanding a ban on the movie for its alleged obscenity and double-meaning dialogues between Naseeruddin Shah and Vidya Balan, Eshwaraiah questioned how the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) could clear such a film.
Musheerabad inspector P Venkataramana said the police arrested some of the activists who had tried to protest against the screening of the film. “It is, however, left to the discretion of the theatre management to continue with the screening,” he said.
Courtesy: Times