'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' screening stopped midway, audience waits for hours
What's the story
The paid preview of Dhurandhar: The Revenge turned into a nightmare for moviegoers at PVR Superplex, Mall of India in Noida on Wednesday, March 18, Hindustan Times revealed. The screening was stopped mid-way due to a "technical glitch," leaving audiences waiting for hours before all screenings were canceled. This incident has sparked protests and allegations of mismanagement in Noida, and social media reports of canceled shows in other cities, including Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
Incident details
'Technical glitch'
The disruption began during the 5:45pm show, when a scheduled 10-minute interval stretched into an indefinite delay. Audience members were informed about a "technical glitch," but no information was provided on when or if the film would resume. The situation escalated with protesters demanding answers from theater staff amid allegations of mismanagement and lack of transparency.
Eyewitness accounts
'They kept telling us 5 more minutes'
Shashank Singh, a Sector 78 businessman who watched the film with his wife Swati, said they had been waiting since 8:00pm. "Audi 1 ka show stall kar diya, but they were still running the shows in the rest of the screens!" Swati added, "They kept telling us five more minutes and kept selling popcorn and Pepsi as if the show will start soon."
Audience frustration
'We can't spare 6 hours every day'
Puneet Panchal, who attended the film with his wife and son, said, "We can't spare six hours every day. We were willing to wait for the glitch to resolve, but these people were not giving us any answers." Another audience member, Madhura Walia from Sector 29, added that they were just asked to go home. One staff member told them it was some issue with certification and that all later shows had been canceled.
Allegations of mistreatment
'They shut off air conditioning, lights...'
As the situation escalated, several audience members accused the theater staff of mismanagement and a lack of transparency. "They shut off air conditioning, lights, even access to washrooms. This is basic human dignity," alleged Advait Marathe, a student. In a more serious allegation, Arshdeep Singh claimed he was mistreated by authorities. He revealed, "I was only trying to keep people calm, but I was escorted out, my phone was seized and I was slapped."
Director's apology
No statement from film's team yet
The incident comes amid massive buzz around Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which was expected to have a pan-India release. The film's director Aditya Dhar had apologized earlier in the day after the dubbed versions were canceled across cities. However, no statement was made about the canceled half shows at the time of filing this report.