After an extensive promotional campaign and amidst much hype and fanfare, Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: 1 has finally hit the big screen worldwide. The film has been released in all five languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam. However, if you are living in Canada, you will not be able to watch the Tamil version of Ponniyin Selvan. Theatres in Canada are not screening the Mani Ratnam directorial in Tamil due to continued threats against the screening of the film.
About four days back, distribution company KW Talkies shared a screenshot of an email that threatened to cause a ruckus in the theatres if the Tamil version of Ponniyin Selvan or any other KW Talkies film is screened in Canada. The email also mentioned opposition against the screening of the Sunny Deol and Dulqer Salmaan’s Chup: Revenge of the Artist.
#BookingMonday updates! I have updates from Hamilton, Kitchener and London. All the theatre owners have been threatened with attacks if they play PS1 Tamil or any movie from KW Talkies. Let’s see how other places fare.#PS1TamilInCineplex #PS1TamilInLandmark pic.twitter.com/PxpiqWvjDb
— KW Talkies (@kwtalkies) September 26, 2022
The miscreants even threatened to send employees of the theatres to hospitals and that they would attack screenings of other English movies as well. KW Talkies were in an understanding with multiplex chain Landmark to screen Ponniyin Selvan: 1 in 20 locations. However, after the threats, Landmark has opted against screening the period action drama. In a new tweet, KW Talkies informed netizens about the multiplex chain’s decision to not screen the film.
Statement from us about why #PS1Tamil is not releasing in @CineplexMovies and @LandmarkCinemas #PS1TamilInCanada #PS1TamilInCineplex #PS1TamilInLandmark @LycaProductions @MadrasTalkies_ pic.twitter.com/ePkjeF1d5Y
— KW Talkies (@kwtalkies) September 28, 2022
“It’s very unfortunate and shameful that the biggest movie chains in the country won’t show this epic and eagerly movie on their screens. Tamil movie lovers in Canada deserve better. Whoever did this vandalism and sent these threats has done a huge disservice to the community,” read an excerpt from the statement.
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Earlier, the Dulqer Salman-starrer Kurup had also been subjected to similar threats of vandalism from fringe groups in Canada. Movie screens were slashed at two Cineplex locations in Richmond Hill and Oakville that screened Kurup.
