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"This is a despicable act"... Kamal Haasan slams theatre for discriminating against tribal people!

By TNSCorrespondent, 31 March, 2023
Theatres, Pathu Thala, Rohini Theatre, Chennai, Kamalhaasan

(This article is authored by Alar)

Actor and politician Kamal Haasan is the latest in the line of celebrities who have voiced out against the discrimination faced by a family of tribal people at Rohini theatre in Chennai. The family, belonging to the 'Narikurava' community, had bought tickets to watch 'Pathu Thala', starring Silambarasan TR and Priya Bhavani Shankar which released yesterday. However, they were denied entry into the theatre hall by the staff, who cited their dress and appearance as the reason.

The incident came to light when a video of the family being stopped at the entrance went viral on social media. Many netizens expressed their outrage and mocked the theatre management for practicing untouchability and denying entry to the commoners despite having their tickets paid for.

Kamal Haasan, who is known for his outspoken views on social issues, took to Twitter to condemn the act. He wrote in Tamil, saying, "Nomadic tribal members, described as having tickets, were not permitted inside the theatre. Social media protests ultimately led to their acceptance. This is a despicable act.

He was joined by acclaimed filmmaker Vetri Maaran, who also shared his thoughts on Facebook. He wrote in Tamil, saying, "100 years ago, theatres stopped practicing untouchability. But today, the prohibition of  hard working people by embracing the untouchability is a dangerous thing. Even though they were allowed inside the theatre later, it is strongly condemnable that such an incident happened."

Actress Priya Bhavani Shankar, who has played an important role in 'Pathu Thala', also reacted to the incident and praised the person who raised his voice against the discrimination. She wrote in Tamil, which translates to, "When everyone goes about their work, "There is no ticket, why don't you allow even they have tickets"  that voice was the first voice against this kind of action. If their dress is the problem for the theater executives means, then the culture they need to know is far away."

The theatre management later clarified and claimed that they did not allow the family inside because they had children below 12 years of age and the film was certified U/A. They also shared a video of the family watching the film and said that they were allowed inside on time.

However, this explanation did not satisfy many netizens, who pointed out that children below 12 years can be accompanied by parents for a U/A film. They also demanded an apology from the theatre management and urged them to respect all customers equally.

 

 

 

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