Cinema staff booked for denying entry to Narikurava family

The CMBT police on Thursday registered a case against two staff of the Rohini cinema on a complaint from members of Narikurava family who alleged that they were discriminated against while they went to watch the Silambarasan-starrer Pathu Thala

The CMBT police on Thursday registered a case against two staff of the Rohini cinema on a complaint from members of Narikurava family who alleged that they were discriminated against while they went to watch the Silambarasan-starrer Pathu Thala. 

The case was booked against the two staff — M. Ramalingam, 50, a cashier and C. Kumaresan, a security staff, under Sections 341 (wrongfully restraining) and a provision of SC and ST Act which stipulates punishment for forcing a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to leave a place. 

In a video that went viral on Thursday morning, an employee of the cinema who was checking tickets and allowing people inside was seen denying entry to a woman who was showing the tickets she had for herself and her family for the film Patthu Thala. The film, starring actor Silambarasan, released on Thursday morning.

Reacting to the video and several comments online, the management of the cinema in a statement said the family was denied permission despite having a valid ticket because the film was certified U/A (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12).

“Children below the age of 12 cannot be permitted to watch any movie that is certified U/A as per the law. Our ticket checking staff denied entry on this basis to the family who had come with children aged 2, 6, 8 and 10,” the statement read. The family was allowed to watch the movie on time, and a video of them inside the cinema was shared on the Twitter handle of the cinema.

Police sources said when Usha Rajender, mother of actor Silambarasan was entering with bouncers, video cameramen and YouTubers with cameras were stopped from entering the hall and were asked to leave their cameras outside.

Infuriated, they handed their tickets to Narikurava family members, including children loitering near the cinema, and sent them inside. Initially, they were denied entry citing the film was certified as U/A and they could not understand despite one of the staff explaining about the certificate. Later, they were allowed to watch the movie and given pop-corn. They left the place after the screening was over.