A BOLLYWOOD film featuring Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan premiered yesterday in Mumbai amid tight security following threats from a Hindu nationalist party, whose activists tore up posters and vandalised cinemas because the actor recently spoke up in support of Pakistani cricketers.
Over 21,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in and around some 60 cinemas in Bollywood’s capital Mumbai showing My Name is Khan after a boycott call by the Shiv Sena, a Mumbai-centric political party known for regional chauvinism and an anti-Muslim stance.
Khan angered the Shiv Sena by publicly regretting that no Pakistani cricketers had been picked for next month’s Indian premier league, a truncated version of the traditional game in which the competing sides play for 20 overs each.
The Shiv Sena – named after Shivaji, a 17th century Hindu warrior who successfully fought the Muslim armies of India’s Mughal rulers – declared it would permit screenings of the film only after Khan retracted his statements, which he has refused to do. The 44-year-old Muslim actor, who owns one of eight premier league cricket teams, has stood over his remarks but apologised to his collaborators in My Name is Khan for the controversy.
Initially, many Mumbai cinema owners, frightened about violence and apprehensive over police inability to protect them, refused to take advance bookings for the film.
However, they were emboldened once hordes of fans managed to view the morning show without trouble.