More theatres attacked

The screen at Abhinay theatre which was damaged by miscreants in Bangalore on Monday. The theatre was screening Dhoom at the time of the attack.

Two more theatres attacked in Bangalore
Times of India

Miscreants on Monday damaged two theatres showing the Hindi film Dhoom violating the sevenweek moratorium.

Mobs, shouting pro-Kannada slogans, tore down the screens and broke window panes at Abhinay and Cauvery theatres in the heart of the city. Around 11 am, about 15 activists purchased tickets for Dhoom and entered Abhinay theatre as audience. After the show began, the miscreants, armed with wooden clubs and stones, broke the windows and damaged the screen, police said.

Chaos followed as terrified viewers, most of them college students, rushed out of the theatre. Policemen deployed at the theatre rounded up the troublemakers and arrested them. In the other incident too, around 30 pro-Kannada activists were inside Cauvery theatre after purchasing tickets for Dhoom. During the show, they tore down the screen. Policemen deployed at the theatre swung into action along with reinforcements which arrived quickly, and arrested over 15 miscreants.

Separate complaints of rioting have been lodged at Upparpet and Vyalikaval police stations. On Saturday, a mob of over 50 pro-Kannada activists attacked the Innovative Multiplex in Marathahalli while Dhoom and the Aishwarya Rai starrer, Bride and Prejudice were being screened. Despite the attacks, theatre owners have resolved to continue screening of non-Kannada films. “We have taken police protection and screening will be normal,” they added.