Cauvery Protests Hit Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ Shows in Karnataka
Theatres cancel screenings and remove posters amid pro-Kannada protests against Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu
- Several theatres across Karnataka suspend screenings of Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’.
- Posters and cut-outs removed at some theatres amid Cauvery protests.
- Bengaluru’s Urvashi Theatre halts shows following a police advisory.
- Kannada groups and farmers oppose release of 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu.
GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 31st July: Protests by farmers and pro-Kannada organisations against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu have hit screenings of actor Thalapathy Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ in Karnataka, with several theatres cancelling shows and removing the film’s promotional material as a precaution.
The film, which was released on July 23, had opened across an estimated 125 to 150 theatres in Karnataka, including more than 75 single-screen theatres and nearly 50 multiplex screens.
However, as protests over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute intensified, several theatre owners voluntarily suspended screenings amid concerns over possible law and order problems.
Staff at some theatres also removed posters, banners and cut-outs of Vijay from their premises.
‘Jana Nayagan’ Shows Halted at Bengaluru’s Urvashi Theatre
At Bengaluru’s Urvashi Theatre, screenings of ‘Jana Nayagan’ were suspended following a police advisory.
Theatre staff removed posters and cut-outs promoting the Vijay-starrer, while its scheduled shows were replaced with the Kannada film ‘Karavali’.
Police personnel were also deployed outside the theatre as a precautionary measure amid the continuing protests.
Similar scenes were reported from Mandya, where pro-Kannada activists removed promotional banners of ‘Jana Nayagan’ as tensions over the Cauvery dispute escalated.
The Karnataka Film Chamber has called a meeting over the cancellation of screenings.
Why Karnataka Is Protesting
The protests intensified after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upheld a recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) for the release of 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
Farmers and Kannada organisations have opposed the water release, arguing that Karnataka itself is facing water shortages and that releasing additional water to Tamil Nadu could adversely affect farmers in the state.
The Cauvery issue has historically remained a politically and emotionally sensitive matter in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Karti Chidambaram Calls for Implementation of Order
Amid the protests, Congress MP from Tamil Nadu Karti Chidambaram called for the Cauvery authority’s order to be implemented in full.
“We are very clear there is a Cauvery Management Board and whatever the management board decides has to be implemented. That is our position,” Chidambaram said.
He maintained that Tamil Nadu wanted the existing arrangement and verdict on Cauvery water sharing to be implemented in total.
The suspension of ‘Jana Nayagan’ screenings has now brought the entertainment industry into the fallout of the renewed Cauvery dispute, with theatre owners adopting precautionary measures as protests continue across Karnataka.
