Dasan

Dangal

Goregaon

national anthem

Amalraj Peter Dasan

Censor Board

Shirish Madhukar

Goregaon Police Station

Madhukar

gold

Aamir Khan

SC

Amalraj Peter, 59, was assaulted for not rising when the Jana Gana Mana tune was being played out in a scene from(he did rise for the anthem before the start of the movie)In a sad reflection of the times we live in, an elderly man fromin Mumbai was punched in the face by a drunk at a cinema hall on Wednesday evening, after he didn’t rise for thetune that was being played out in one of the scenes of the movie Dangal.The victim,, 59, had dutifully risen for the national anthem before the start of the movie. He and his wife have been left so traumatised by the incident that he requested Mirror to appeal, on his behalf, to all actors, producers, and theto alert the audience if there were scenes related to the national anthem.The accused,, 52, has been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (insult with intention to provoke breach of peace) by the Goregaon police. An officer fromsaidtold the cops he had consumed alcohol before he arrived for the movie, and was “taken over by patriotic zeal that reflected in the movie”. Madhukar was detained for a few hours after the incident.Recalling his trauma, Dasan said he had gone for a 7.30 pm show of Dangal, and ironically, he and his wife were the only ones rising for the national anthem before the start of the movie as the hall was empty.“It was the scene where the protagonist’s daughter wins themedal and the national anthem’s tune is being played in the background. Suddenly, a man who was obviously very drunk, started screaming at everyone. He was shouting filthiest of abuses and asking people to stand up,” Dasan said, adding the commotion took him completely by surprise.“I didn’t realise he was demanding that people rise to the national anthem tune. Before I could react, he landed a punch on my cheek. My wife was horrified as I took a few seconds to recover from the blow. By this time, the movie hall’s security managed to pin him down and the cops took him away,” Dasan said.Angry and humiliated that his patriotism was questioned, Dasan, who works for a private firm, said, “I didn’t know the movie’s plot. How was I to know the national anthem would be played in the background in one of the scenes? Today it is me, tomorrow another unsuspecting movie-goer will be assaulted by an overzealous ‘patriot’,” he said.He said that he didn’t want his attacker punished anymore as he would have learnt his lesson, but he said there has to be a mechanism to protect people. “Mror the Censor Board should put an alert before the scene. We live in the times when people don’t think twice before assaulting anyone, be it women or senior citizens,” Dasan said.Aamir Khan, who himself was at the receiving end of misplaced patriotism when he spoke about society living in fear a few months ago, did not respond to a communication sent to him and his production house.The Goregaon police said investigation will continue, even as police sources said Dasan and his family have decided to ‘forgive’ the accused, Madhukar. “The accused appeared extremely remorseful, saying he was swayed by alcohol and emotions. A non-cognisable complaint has been registered,” a source from Goregaon Police Station said.Even before Amalraj Peter Dasan was assaulted over the scene in Dangal, many others have reported similar harassment. A few took to Twitter to express their anguish. We reproduce the tweets:@cinemaausher: I had to stand up for national anthem in #Dangal and it was not out of respect, but fear.@TheJoshuaDsouza: People standing for the national anthem in the film out of dilemma and fear. Nobody knows what’s right and wrong. Sad #dangal@thetanmay: Hey guy who panicked when the national anthem started and his recliner seats didn’t recline fast enough for you to stand up, I feel you.@msidhu89: Watched Dangal. Good movie. But the weird part was when everybody stood up for the National Anthem, which was part of the movie.@Mercurial_Ashin: OK so one guy yelled ‘bloody losers’ to those who didn’t stand for the national anthem during Dangal.@NanandDev: Didn’t stand up for national anthem played in Dangal guys. Feeling so unpatriotic, leaving for Pakistan immediately.@ _xLNc: In theatre to watch Dangal and national anthem started playing. Someone enlighten if it’s mandatory to stand up for that now?@81atoms: I stood up once for the national anthem before #Dangal starts. Should I stand again when it’s played as part of the plot?@aneesshameed: People have gone much mad that they have started standing up for national anthem played as part of a movie. In for Dangal, Crown Calicut@anuradha_kush: Watched Dangal finally. The best part was the guy in the first row who had no idea everyone at the back was standing for national anthem.@dibyabttb: Many people stood for national anthem during Dangal because when people in the front rows stood, they couldn’t watch the movie.@naveediqbal: Such is the terror of theorder that when the national anthem played in the background of Geeta’s gold, several people stood up #Dangal.