New Delhi: A Muslim family was made to leave a theatre in Mumbai after they allegedly refused to stand for the national anthem.
A video showing a group people excoriating the Muslim family for not standing up when the national anthem was playing allegedly in PVR Kurla, Mumbai has gone viral on the social media.
The over two-minute video clip shared on YouTube on Monday shows the family, surrounded by a group of people, trying to defend their stand, but in vain.
One agitated man can be seen and heard threatening to slap one of the Muslims. “Thappad marunga mai (I’ll slap you)”.
In the end, the family was forced to leave the theatre amid applause from the people present there apparently welcoming the move.
Here’s the video:
Actors Rajat Kapoor and Gaurav Kapur emphasised that playing “Jana Gana Mana…” in cinema halls is a bit “misplaced”.
Can we please stop playing the national anthem before a film screening? Can we?
Or we must wear our patriotism on the sleeve at all times— Rajat Kapoor (@mrrajatkapoor) November 30, 2015
Gaurav shared:
I love singing my National Anthem. But I don't like being forced to sing it before a film. That's a mild kind of fascism isn't it.
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) November 30, 2015
National Anthem is great before any India sporting encounter. That's the mood. I feel it's a little misplaced before a film.
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) November 30, 2015
Here are some other reactions on the incident:
It is not an offence to remain seated if the National Anthem plays in a theatre. (Source: https://t.co/aGlBSDoxl2) pic.twitter.com/QL0egzFsNk
— Suprateek Chatterjee (@SupraMario) November 30, 2015
Why what's wrong in playing the national anthem before films? Next you will say lets not play on 15th Aug. too. https://t.co/yxUzpTIbP1
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) November 30, 2015
“Hate Story” maker Vivek Agnihotri posted that “playing (the) national anthem before a movie is a redundant idea but also know that no one in a civilised society would refuse to stand up”.
Meanwhile, singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya felt it was an “Insult to #NationalAnthem” if one avoids standing up.
Stand-up comedian and writer Sorabh Pant agreed, and shared: “We should all stand for our national anthem. But: getting kicked out for not? And, it playing before ‘Calendar Girls’ – is that patriotism?”
It wasn’t only celebrities who raised their voice against the stir.
One user opined: “If you need to compel someone to stand up to respect the national anthem, that’s a battle that’s lost already”, while another asked: “What the hell is ‘Muslim family’? They’re Indians and they must stand up for national anthem instead of disrespecting”.
(With inputs from IANS)
