Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 25, 2018)

It's not just Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the team of Padmaavat that has drawn the ire of fringe groups protesting against the film’s release. Ajay Devgn, who collaborated with Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1998), found himself at the receiving end of the Padmaavat outrage. One of the theatres, owned by Devgn, in Uttar Pradesh was vandalised by members of the Rajput Karni Sena.

Members of the fringe group stormed the multiplex in Pilkhuwa in Hapur district on Tuesday and created a ruckus, after the cinema opened the window for advance booking of the Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor starrer.

Confirming the development, the theatre manager told midday, “As soon as they got to know that advance booking was to begin, the protesters gathered around and started chanting slogans. They smashed the glass façade of the ticket windows. They also demanded to meet the owner to ensure that the film would not be exhibited.”

Though Devgn refused to comment, it is learnt that he is taking stock of the extent of the damage and the loss incurred.

Last October, the actor had taken over four single screens in Uttar Pradesh. His aim was to take over ailing theatres and convert them into multiplexes. Considering the state’s population, he felt there were not enough theatres in Uttar Pradesh.