Karnal/Patiala, Haryana/Punjab (April 10, 2013): It is learnt that two Haryana theaters – Harsha K3C and MovieTime (Super-mall) continued to screen the Punjabi film Sadda Haq for four consecutive days despite state government banning it.
It is notable the movie was screened in a peaceful environment in both cinemas from April 06 to April 09 and there was no trouble whatsoever, expect that created by the police on late evening of April 09, when it forced the screening of the movie in both cinemas.
On being learnt about the screening of Sadda Haq at Karnal a team of Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) traveled to Karnal to verify the fact and the get the reactions of the viewers.
SSN team found that Harsha K3C was running four shows of Sadda Haq daily and was reviving better response than any other movie that were also being screened there. MovieTime was screening the movie for three times a day.
It was learnt that many viewers had specially traveled to Karnal to watch the movie from other parts of Haryana. Some had even traveled from Punjab to watch the movie. Most of the viewers admitted that they had personal knowledge, gained through some friends/relatives that the movie was being screened in Karnal.
“It’s entertaining, as well as informative”, a viewer told Sikh Siyasat News.
“There is nothing anti-Hindu as was propagated by the media” opined another.
“Media is making a false propaganda against the movie and the governments were wrongful in banning it. It’s not a communal or anti-Hindu movie. It informs about the reality of events of 1980s-90s that we all had witnessed. All, especially the younger generation, must watch it”, informed a viewer in his fifties.
Some Hindu viewers had also turned up to watch the movie who informed SSN that they had came to know that this movie had anti-Hindu propaganda. “But there is no such thing in this movie. It’s not against any community”, they opined.
According to a news report by Indian Express (IE), [a]ll India distributor for the film, Jalandhar-based Munish Sahni said the film saw a peaceful screening in Karnal, Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and in Mumbai.
“Audiences are flocking the cinema halls,” Sahni said even as agreed that there has been a huge loss.
“There was no law and order problem.”, the IE has quoted Devinder Saggi of Harsha K3C Cinemas in Karnal, where Sadda Haq was being screened.
According to IE: In the non-banned territories, the response has been decent.
“We have three shows and 50 per cent occupancy for Sadda Haq. Sunday was packed, and a lot of Sikh population is turning up to watch the film,” said Suni Dhamija, manager TQ Cinemas, Indore.
While Dhamija is trying to keep one show for the next week, Hamirpur might have to give it up because of lack of Punjabi population in Himachal.
In Mumbai, Joseph Francis of K Sera Sera Miniplex registered good feedback from the Punjabi community and has planned shows for next week too.
It is evident from the peaceful screenings of the movie that apprehensions of disturbance was merely a false and motivated propaganda aimed at preventing the screening of the movie.