Nepal ‘bans’ Bollywood films
3 Oct 2012 2:03 AM GMT
Bowing to pressure from a breakaway faction of the ruling Maoists, theatres across Nepal have stopped showing Hindi movies to express solidarity with the outfit's anti-India stand.
'Fifty cinema halls which were showing Hindi films stopped screening Indian movies from Monday,' said Raj Kumar Rai, the chairperson of the Nepal Film Producers' Association. 'We have expressed solidarity to the Maoists' demand to stop screening of Hindi movies in the halls across the country,' Rai said.
The move has affected the entertainment of around one lakh people causing loss of millions of rupees, he said.
'Although we are not against the Hindi cinema, we have agreed to halt the screening of Hindi movies for the next 10 days so as to promote Nepalese movies,' he said, adding that not only Hindi movies, but all foreign films had negatively impacted the indigenous film industry and hoped that the campaign of his association would help in promoting Nepali movies.
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal [Maoist] led by the hard-line leader Mohan Vaidya had issued a warning at the end of last month, saying that Hindi films spread 'hatred against Nepal'. The outfit also threatened to stop the movement of vehicles bearing Indian number plate from entering Nepal as part of its 70-point demands submitted to the government.
However, the party had allowed the movement of Indian vehicles carrying essentials, like cooking gas, diesel and kerosene.
'Fifty cinema halls which were showing Hindi films stopped screening Indian movies from Monday,' said Raj Kumar Rai, the chairperson of the Nepal Film Producers' Association. 'We have expressed solidarity to the Maoists' demand to stop screening of Hindi movies in the halls across the country,' Rai said.
The move has affected the entertainment of around one lakh people causing loss of millions of rupees, he said.
'Although we are not against the Hindi cinema, we have agreed to halt the screening of Hindi movies for the next 10 days so as to promote Nepalese movies,' he said, adding that not only Hindi movies, but all foreign films had negatively impacted the indigenous film industry and hoped that the campaign of his association would help in promoting Nepali movies.
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal [Maoist] led by the hard-line leader Mohan Vaidya had issued a warning at the end of last month, saying that Hindi films spread 'hatred against Nepal'. The outfit also threatened to stop the movement of vehicles bearing Indian number plate from entering Nepal as part of its 70-point demands submitted to the government.
However, the party had allowed the movement of Indian vehicles carrying essentials, like cooking gas, diesel and kerosene.
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