MUMBAI: Going back on their decision of not showing My Name Is Khan (MNIK), some multiplex owners garnered courage and went ahead in exhibiting the film post noon.
It is learnt that ten multiplex owners in Mumbai decided to go ahead with the screening while the rest didn‘t. Among the single-screen theatres, most of them decided against showing the film fearing violence.
Fun Republic was the first multiplex chain to start screening the movie at noon. Among the multiplexes that followed were Inox, Fame Adlabs, Big Cinemas and Cinemax.
No sooner did the windows open, there was a mad rush for tickets and all the multiplexes showing the film sported ‘House Full‘ boards much before the show could commence.
But just before the first show could be shown at Fun Republic, over 40 Sena workers started pelting stones but were soon arrested and taken into custody.
Sporadic incidents were reported across the metropolis and some arrests have been made. Says theatre owners association president Ram Vidhani, "Some single-screen theatres volunteered to show the film with heavy police protection. However from the news I have been getting, violence has been reported from some pockets of the city. I am not able to say if any theatre has been affected."
Talking about the possibility of the Shiv Sena (SS) threat fizzling out tomorrow, Vidhani avers, "Don‘t you know that the SS has called for a bandh on 13 February. Things might get worser and so might the prospects of the film at the box-office."
Defying Sena‘s threat SRK‘s wife Gauri watched the movie in a theatre and said that her husband "is very happy" with the initial response after remaining "sad" yesterday as there was uncertainty over the release of the movie in Mumbai theatres. "Karan (Johar) is with him by his side, supporting him. We are very happy," Gauri, a co-producer of the film, said.
SRK expressed gratitude towards his fans who thronged the theatres today. "I realise today...I am just a film hero...you all in the theatres are the real deal. god feel so loved & humbled. Hats off to all heroes," he tweeted.
"As the film releases & reports pour in praising karan‘s work I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has gone to see the film. Only regret our own city Mumbai is still to see it in full flow. I just want to tell everyone that I feel more patriotic than ever before. I love India & Indians. I love Mumbai & Mumbaikers," he added.
Meanwhile, The Film & Television Producers Guild of India (Guild) has voiced its anguish against the stoppage of the theatrical release of My Name is Khan by certain organisations.
In a press release, the Guild has opined that a film, once accorded the green signal by Censor Board, should be allowed an absolute and uninterrupted release, without the interference of any external authority.
