Writer and socialite Shobhaa De has received notices asking her to explain and apologise for tweets in which she criticised the state government’s decision to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi-language movies during prime time.
The Maharashtra government announced on April 7 that it was considering making the screening of Marathi-language films compulsory in multiplexes during peak hours, which are usually allotted to Bollywood blockbusters.
On April 9, after facing severe criticism, the government decided against the move and declared that Marathi-language movies would be screened between noon and 9pm, instead of the previously sought after 6pm-9pm slot.
“I have sent Shobhaa De the notice on behalf of the speaker asking her to explain her stance in a week,” Anant Kalse, the principal secretary of Maharashtra Legislature, told the Press Trust of India.
De had tweeted: “Devendra ‘Diktatwala’ Fadnavis is at it again!!! From beef to movies. This is not the Maharashtra we all love! Nako!Nako! Yeh sab roko!” and “I love Marathi movies. Let me decide when and where to watch them, Devendra Fadnavis. This is nothing but Dadagiri.”
Mumbai politician Pratap Sarnaik from the Shiv Sena party then filed a breach of privilege notice against De for “insulting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the sentiments of the Marathi-speaking people”.
De promptly took to Twitter again to denounce the move: “Now a privilege motion demanding an apology from me? Come on! I am a proud Maharashtrian and love Marathi films. Always have. Always will!”
Shiv Sena activists had gathered outside De’s Mumbai home last week in protest.
Meanwhile, veteran actor Anupam Kher says the people of Maharashtra should decide whether screening of Marathi movies in the state should be made compulsory.
“I think it should be left to the public to decide,” said Kher at a media event in New Delhi on Sunday, April 12.
Noting that regional cinema – especially Marathi-language films – was “doing well in the country”, Kher said it should be supported.
“Marathi cinema is doing very well,” said Kher. “I believe the regional cinema should also be supported. Some sort of preference should be given to regional cinema and Bollywood alone should not represent India,” he said.
artslife@thenational.ae
