Tensions flared in Belagavi on Saturday evening when police intervened to stop unauthorized street screenings of the blockbuster Hindi film Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal. The movie, which has been running successfully in theatres for its third week, was being projected on the streets by various youth organizations using projectors—without the necessary permissions from local authorities.
Police halted the screenings across different locations in Belagavi city, Kadoli village, and Nippani town. The move sparked public unrest, especially in Kadoli’s Chandrashekhar Azad Galli, where police spent over four hours trying to convince the organizers and the crowd to disperse. In Nippani, authorities registered a case against the organizers for holding the unauthorized screenings.
In Belagavi city, youth groups had been showing the film on makeshift white screens set up on tractor trolleys, attracting large crowds. While the movie continues to be screened in four local theatres with houseful shows, the street projections were not sanctioned by the police. The film Chhaava, which chronicles the struggle of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj against the Mughals, has garnered significant popularity since its release.
City Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang clarified that no complaints had been filed by movie distributors or other authorities regarding the illegal screenings. However, the screenings were stopped because they lacked prior police authorization, which is required for such public events.
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