AIADMK cadres stall Sarkar screenings; Team agrees to delete controversial scenes

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres have begun staging protests in front of several theatres screening the Vijay-starrer Sarkar, all across the state, forcing the filmmakers to agree to delete the controversial scenes in the film.

The protests, which were happening only in other districts of Tamil Nadu, spread to Chennai by evening. Protestors gathered outside the Kasi theatre in Vadapalani and began bringing down banners erected for the film’s hero Vijay. Top police officials rushed to Kasi theatre to bring the situation there under control.

According to reports, protestors have now also gathered outside the Devi complex in Mount Road, where the film is being screened.

Sources say that the protests first began in Coimbatore and Madurai. According to media reports, around 30 AIADMK cadres raised slogans against actor Vijay and director AR Murugadoss outside a theatre in Coimbatore which was screening the film. They tore posters causing concern amidst bystanders. Police personnel arrived at the spot and convinced them to leave.

In Madurai, AIADMK cadres staged a blockade and protested outside the Cinepriya theatre. As a result of the ruckus, the afternoon show of the film was cancelled, resulting in disappointment to fans.

The AIADMK claims that the film has sequences that insult its government in the state and its party leader J Jayalalithaa. They are demanding that the filmmakers remove these controversial sequences before screening the film.

According to industry sources, well known theatre owner and distributor Tiruppur Subramanian has said that the filmmakers have agreed to the demands of the AIADMK and that they were willing to delete the controversial scenes in the film.

It may be recalled that Tamil Nadu Law Minister C V Shanmugam had said that legal action would be initiated against the makers of Sarkar as it allegedly had sequences that incited the masses to turn violent against the government.

Another minister Kadambur Raju too had demanded that those sequences that were controversial in nature be removed from the film.

Talking to reporters in Ettayapuram, Raju had said, “We have received information that the film Sarkar has controversial sequences that are aimed at criticising the Tamil Nadu government. They have included these sequences in the film for political reasons. People will not accept this. It is not good for Vijay, who is growing as an actor.”

“We will consult the Chief Minister on this issue. We will advise the filmmakers to remove those scenes. If they do not remove the scenes they are advised to remove, we will discuss and finalise our next move.”