HC directs AP govt to ensure smooth screening of 'Zanjeer'

Andhra Pradesh High Court today directed the state government to provide security in theatres across the state for the screening of bilingual movie 'Zanjeer', which is releasing tomorrow.
Based on a petition filed by Reliance Big Entertainment, which has produced the movie, Justice N Rammohan Rao ordered state DGP and Home secretary to provide protection for the screening of the film.
Niranjan Reddy, counsel for the company, said, "The court has given direction to the DGP and Home secretary to provide security and protection to release and exhibition of the film without unlawful disturbances."
RBE said that it has produced the bilingual film made under the name of 'Zanjeer' in Hindi and 'Toofan' in Telugu, starring Ram Charan Teja, Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj and others. Ram Charan is son of Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi.

The company had approached the court seeking a direction based on some media reports that the screening of the movie will be obstructed in view of the Union minister's stance on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
"...A few press statements were noticed by the petitioner made in the recent past where certain persons unknown to the petitioner have threatened to disrupt screening of the petitioner's film. It is respectfully submitted that no political party or no responsible organisation has given a call for disruption to release of the films in any manner," the petitioner said.
"It is only certain unlawful elements that are seeking to wrongfully make capital of the ongoing political agitations for targeting the petitioner's film evidently for extraneous reasons. It is submitted that such threats have emanated from various parts of the state of Andhra Pradesh," the petitioner alleged.

The petitioner said they were being 'unlawfully and unconstitutionally' subjected to a threat of disruption of the screening and release.