What baffled the disbelieving director was that it was private screening.
Speaking of the incident the director Feroz Khan said, `I don't know how it happened. I've no clue how these people came to know about the screening of my people. I don't even know which organization they owe their allegiance to because they didn't tell us.`
However Feroz is certain the protesters were from an Islamic organization.
Elaborating on the incident Feroz said, `Eros cinema is next to my home. I had organized a screening for some friends on Wednesday evening.At around 4 pm a group of people descended at the theatre asking the management if there was a screening of my film...I don't know whom they got the information from. This was a private screening.`
There were only 8-9 protesters since no more than 15 people are allowed to assemble in the locality where Feroz lives. `Anyway when they were told about the screening they started screaming slogans and shouting against the film. The theatre management had no choice but to stop the screening.`
What worries Feroz is that the threat didn't restrict itself to the screening. `The protesters very clearly said they wouldn't allow the film's screening on television. We haven't yet finalized a television screening for Dekh Tamasha Dekh. We have reason to worry because I think the protests are going to spread. I think these fundamentalist organizations have now woken up to what my film is trying to say.`
Feroz says the protesters were so far clueless about the film content. `By the time they realized what my film was about, that it discusses the communal divide frankly, the film was already out of the theatres. So I feel they'll now seek out other channels of disruption , like the private screening that I was going to have on Wednesday, and the television premiere.`
Said Feroz, `Thursday was May Day and also Maharashtra Day, so everything was quiet. But I am expecting trouble after May Day.`
