Bengaluru: Vijay's film Jana Nayagan has been caught in the fallout of the escalating Kaveri river water dispute, with screenings suspended at several theatres across Karnataka as pro-Kannada organisations intensified protests against the release of water to Tamil Nadu.
Theatres, including several in Bengaluru, voluntarily cancelled shows to avert law and order problems after the Kaveri Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.
Released on July 23, the film opened in around 150 theatres across the state, including more than 75 single-screen cinemas and about 50 multiplex screens. As protests gathered momentum, several theatre owners decided to temporarily halt screenings.
At Bengaluru's Urvashi Theatre, the film's shows were stopped following police advice. Theatre staff removed posters and cut-outs of the film and replaced the scheduled screenings with the Kannada film Karavali.
Mandya district witnessed the strongest protests, with demonstrators tearing down posters and demanding that theatres discontinue the film's screening. Anticipating possible attacks or unrest, theatre managements in several locations removed promotional material on their own, while police strengthened security arrangements.
The Karnataka Film Chamber has convened a meeting to discuss the disruption to the film's release.
The protests come amid mounting opposition from farmers' groups and pro-Kannada organisations to the Kaveri water-sharing order. Vijay's position as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister has further intensified the backlash, with his film becoming a symbolic target in the renewed interstate river dispute.