Shah Rukh-starrer Dilwale and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani faced protests by activists of BJP and right wing outfits at many places in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Delhi on the opening day on Friday, leading to cancellation of shows at some cinema halls. Posters were torn and effigies burnt at many places.In Pune, all 10 shows of Bajirao Mastani were cancelled at City Pride multiplex following protests by BJP and BJYM workers in the morning. In Kolhapur, cinema owners played safe by cancelling the first show of both the films while Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal members in Kalyan forced cinema halls to cancel the shows of Dilwale.While the protests against Shah Rukh were triggered by his recent remarks against intolerance, right wing organizations were up in arms against the makers of Bajirao Mastani alleging that the movie distorts facts about Peshwa Bajirao.“We sent a letter on Thursday expressing our opposition to the release of the movie as it distorts facts about Peshwa Bajirao. We still urge other theatre owners to not screen the movie,” said a statement issued by the BJP on Friday.The shows went uninterrupted in Mumbai where alert cops arrested activists outside major cinema halls before the screening could be disrupted.In UP, novel ways of protest were adopted at many places by activists. In Kanpur, protestors circulated messages on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, hoping this would work better than traditional ways of protest. “Whenever we burn effigies or tear up posters of a movie, it ends up becoming a blockbuster. This time, we’re sticking to a social media campaign instead,” said Bajrang Dal’s UP east convener Kushal Pal Singh.In Gorakhpur, while Hindu Yuva Vahini and Shiv Rashtra Sena burnt effigies and posters at Jubilee Chauraha, Vijay Chauraha and outside a mall, Congress workers handed out flowers to those going to watch the movie. “Both the expressions were symbolic and it didn’t disturb law and order,” SSP Luv Kumar said.In Bokaro, screening of Dilwale resumed after protests in the morning. “Though the morning show had to be suspended, other shows ran to packed houses,” said Amritesh Singh, proprietor of one of the theaters.