Pro-Tamil Outfits Threaten Madras Cafe's Overseas Screening
News
oi-Sandesh
By Sandesh
Less
than
a
week
after
its
release,
the
Tamil
version
of
controversial
political
thriller
Madras
Cafe
was
pulled
from
two
theatres
in
overseas
countries
like
Toronto,
Canada
and
Montreal
due
to
protests
and
poor
ratings.
The
movie,
which
was
released
across
the
world
on
August
23,
is
based
on
the
Sri
Lankan
civil
war
and
also
shows
the
1991
assassination
of
former
Indian
prime
minister
Rajiv
Gandhi.
Actor
John
Abraham,
who
has
co-produced
the
film,
also
features
as
an
Indian
Army
intelligence
agent
sent
to
Sri
Lanka.
The
film
sparked
protests
across
the
world
even
before
it
got
released
as
Tamil
groups
claimed
that
the
film
portrays
the
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
in
poor
light.
In
Canada,
the
movie
was
released
in
six
theatres
in
Surrey,
Montreal
and
Toronto.
Though
the
company
representing
the
film
claimed
that
it
was
being
pulled
from
theatres
in
Canada
due
to
protests,
spokeswoman
for
Cineplex
Entertainment,
Pat
Marshall,
said
that
it
was
being
pulled
from
only
two
Toronto
theatres
screening
the
Tamil
version,
the
Vancouver
Desi
reported.
"It's
the
way
that
our
business
works,
it's
our
guests
who
decide
what
movies
stay
on
the
screen
and
what
movies
come
off
by
buying
the
ticket," she
was
quoted
as
saying.
(Inputs
from
IANS)
Continue
reading
the
story
in
slides...
Overseas
Performance
Madras
Cafe
was
received
well
in
four
of
the
six
theatres
screening
the
Hindi
version,
while
the
two
Toronto
theatres
screening
the
Tamil
version
could
not
work.
Tamil
Version's
Screening
Stalled
Out
of
six
locations,
Tamil
versions
will
come
off,
but
the
other
four
will
continue
on
because
they've
done
well.
Protest
In
Overseas
Countries
A
group
of
around
50
people
protested
outside
Toronto's
Eglinton
Town
Centre
theatre,
on
August
28.
Cast
And
Crew
The
movie,
directed
by
Shoojit
Sircar,
also
features
Nargis
Fakhri,
Ajay
Rathnam
and
Leena
Maria
Paul.
Madras
Cafe
In
Britain
Though
India's
Central
Board
of
Film
Certification
had
passed
the
film,
it
has
been
pulled
from
some
theatres
in
Britain,
and
in
Chennai
in
the
south
Indian
state
of
Tamil
Nadu.
Background
Initially,
Madras
Cafe
was
opposed
from
the
pro
Tamil
outfits,
who
claimed
that
movie
is
anti-Tamils.
Court
Order
Madurai
High
court
halted
the
movie
release
in
Tamil
Nadu
and
claimed
that
it
disturbs
the
Law
and
Order
in
the
state.
Tamil
Version
On
August
21,
Tamil
version
of
Madras
Cafe
is
certified
U/A
by
Central
Board
of
Film
Certification.
Protest
In
Tamil
Nadu
The
pro-Tamil
outfits
like
Naam
Tamizhar,
Marumalarchi
Dravida
Munnetra
Kazhagam,
Pattali
Makkala
Patchi
and
Tamil
Nadu
BJP
leaders
had
opposed
the
movie
release
in
the
state.