Nagpur: The press conference of filmmaker
Madhur Bhandarkar in the city, on his upcoming film '
Indu Sarkar
', was cancelled when
Congress activists did not allow him to come out of his hotel. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1975-77 Emergency and has characters inspired by the late Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi.
Bhandarkar had put up at Hotel Centre Point, Ramdaspeth. His press conference was scheduled at Port O' Gomez restaurant in Gandhi Nagar at 11.30am. Around 50 Congress workers, led by city president
Vikas Thakre
, gathered in front of the hotel and started raising slogans against the filmmaker and the movie.Sensing trouble, Bhandarkar cancelled his press conference at around 11.15am. His personal staff passed on the message to the journalists gathered at Port O' Gomez.
Around 10 to 12 workers were also present at the press conference venue but they did not do anything as Bhandarkar did not turn up. Police has not taken any action against Congress workers as they did not indulge in any violent activity.
After cancelling the events, Bhandarkar tweeted to
Rahul Gandhi's Office saying, "Dear @OfficeOfRG after Pune I have 2 cancel today's PressCon at Nagpur.Do you approve of this hooliganism? Can I have my Freedom of Expression?" Bhandarkar had to cancel the promotional activity of 'Indu Sarkar' in Pune on Saturday after receiving threats from local Congress party workers. In Pune too, the management of the hotel where the director had put up advised him not to go outside.
On the charge that the film maligns the image of Indira Gandhi and other Congress leaders of the past, Bhandarkar said, "I have not made the film to malign anyone. Otherwise I would have made a 100% documentary, and not a film."
(With inputs from agencies)