Patna cinema halls begin screening 'Padmaavat'

Cinema halls in Bihar capital Patna on Monday began screening Bollywood movie "Padmaavat" amid heavy security arrangements, officials said.

The screening in the state capital started a day after two petrol bombs were hurled at a cinema hall -- where "Padmaavat" was running -- in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

"We will not allow anyone to create trouble for screening of 'Padmaavat'," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said.

According to police officers, screening of "Padmaavat" has started in Cinepolis and Mona cinema hall in Patna.

Sources close to a cinema hall owner told IANS the decision to screen "Padmaavat" was taken following a secret settlement with Shree Rajput Karni Sena which was against any compromise to run the film.

Last week, when "Padmaavat" was officially released across the country, the film was not screened in Patna and across Bihar due to widespread violent protests by Karni Sena and other Rajput organisations against the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial.

In Patna, cinema halls did not take advance booking of tickets and the online booking was stopped following protests and threats by Karni Sena activists.

According to reports reaching here, the screening of "Padmaavat" began in Gaya, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur and other districts in the state on Sunday.

In Muzaffarpur town, two petrol bombs were hurled at Shayam cinema hall on late Sunday evening for screening "Padmaavat". There were 400 people inside the cinema hall.

Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar said no one was injured in the incident.

Ten days ago, a group of Karni Sena activists attacked a cinema hall in Muzaffarpur, tore up the film's posters and threatened to set ablaze the hall if the film is screened.

Last week, a group of protestors in Nalanda district's Bihar Sharif town attacked a cinema hall, tore up posters, damaged vehicles and threatened to set afire the theatre if "Padmaavat" is run.

Karni Sena has been staging protest against "Padmaavat" across the state for the last two weeks.

--IANS

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