Screenings of supertsar and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's final movie, Jana Nayagan, were suspended across Karnataka on Friday as the Cauvery water-sharing dispute intensified, prompting theatres to cancel shows and authorities to tighten security, according to reports.
In Bengaluru, Sampige Theatre called off all scheduled screenings as a precautionary measure. Theatre staff removed posters of the film, while some were covered with other promotional material to prevent any untoward incidents, the reports stated.
Security was heightened in sensitive areas, with the Srirampura Police increasing patrolling and deploying additional personnel in neighbourhoods with a sizeable Tamil-speaking population to maintain law and order, India Today reported. In Mandya, pro-Kannada activists removed promotional banners of Jana Nayagan as demonstrations over the Cauvery issue gathered momentum.
ALSO READ: Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' Poster Torn Down In Mandya Amid Cauvery Water Protests
The protests were sparked after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) recommendation directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.
Farmer groups and Kannada organisations opposed the directive, arguing that Karnataka is already grappling with a water shortage and that releasing water would adversely impact the state's farmers. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the state government would challenge the CWMA's order.
Reacting to the development, Tamil Nadu Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar said on Friday that the state government would approach the Supreme Court to secure its share of Cauvery water.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber has convened a meeting to assess the impact of the cancelled screenings on the film industry.
Directed by H Vinoth, Jana Nayagan marks Vijay's final film and the political action drama also stars Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Narain. The film opened to strong box office collections but received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
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