ST community: Family allegedly denied entry inside movie theatre

Chennai: After a family was denied entry to a cinema hall in Chennai, allegedly because they were from a particular ST community, a row broke there on Thursday, PTI reported.

The family was allegedly prohibited from entering despite having valid movie tickets. But the cinema house, Rohini Silver Screens, claimed that they were adhering to Censor rules.

The family arrived to watch the freshly released "Pathu Thala" starring Silambabarasan TR. The issue raised questions on Twitter, where many asked whether the family was denied entry because they belong to the particular Narikuravar community.

A video of the family being denied entry and being shooed away by theatre staff despite having valid tickets drew widespread condemnation. The video went viral on social media, pressing the question of discrimination and many reacting to it.

The video also features some people trying to persuade the staff to allow the family inside.

The management, however, maintained that the family included children of age below 12, and the movie was censored U/A by authorities, which does not permit children below the age of 12, as per law. It added that it had taken note of the situation.

However, the theatre authorities later allowed the family inside later.

"A few individuals along with their children with valid tickets have sought entry to the cinema to watch 'Pathu Thala' movie. As we know, the movie is censored U/A by the authorities," it said.

"Our ticket-checking staff has denied entry on this basis to the family who had come with children aged 2,6,8 and 10." "However, since the audience gathered turned into a frenzy and took a different perspective of the situation without full understanding, in order to avert any law and order problem... the same family was allowed entry to watch the movie on time," the theatre maintained.

It also released a video of the family watching the movie inside.