Disturbing visuals continue to surface from cinema halls—shattered seats, broken barricades, vandalised interiors. What should have been spaces for collective storytelling have increasingly turned into arenas of chaos.
On 5 October 2023, during the trailer screening of Leo, the theatre itself became collateral damage. Recliner seats were crushed, barricades torn apart, and property reduced to debris. The excitement surrounding a film translated directly into financial loss and police intervention.
Weeks later, on 12 November 2023, a family-oriented evening show of Tiger 3 at Mohan Cinema in Malegaon descended into panic. Firecrackers exploded inside the auditorium, triggering fear and a stampede. The hall was evacuated in haste, and authorities were forced to step in. Entertainment gave way to emergency.
The pattern did not remain confined to India.
On 24 July 2025, a UK theatre screening of Hari Hara Veera Mallu was disrupted by unruly behaviour that crossed every line of public etiquette. Confetti littered the premises, the screening was halted, and intervention followed immediately. This was not a space where disorder could be ignored. The contrast was stark: what is often tolerated in one place is firmly rejected elsewhere.
Then came 27 September 2024, when a temporary technical delay during Devara screenings in Telangana sparked anger. The response was destruction. Equipment was damaged, order collapsed, and law enforcement had to restore control. All this—over a delay beyond human control.
The most devastating consequence of this culture surfaced during a premiere screening of Pushpa 2 at Hyderabad’s Sandhya 70MM Theatre. A massive crowd had gathered. The excitement escalated unchecked. What followed was a stampede. A 35-year-old woman lost her life. Her 13-year-old son survived—injured, traumatised, and orphaned.
A film went on to break box-office records. Compensation was issued. The system moved forward. A life did not.
This is not fandom. This is erosion.
These incidents are only the visible fraction of a much larger problem. Instead of condemnation, such behaviour is increasingly celebrated. Public nuisance is repackaged as proof of a film’s “impact.” Destroyed theatres become promotional material. Chaos becomes branding.
Cinema halls are meant to host families, children, elderly viewers—people seeking two hours of escape, not fear. Yet the modern theatre experience is often hijacked by drumbeats, firecrackers, blinding phone flashlights, vulgar performances, and deafening noise. What was once applause has mutated into disruption.
The result is predictable. Children feel unsafe. Elderly viewers struggle. The experience turns hostile. A shared cultural space becomes uninhabitable.
What makes this worse is its global visibility.
Videos of such behaviour circulate online, shaping how Indian audiences are perceived worldwide. When the same actions are repeated abroad, the backlash is swift and unforgiving. Entire communities are judged based on the actions of a few seeking viral fame.
Stereotypes do not appear overnight. They are built—incident by incident.
Once it was unhygienic food videos. Now it is cinema vandalism. Each reel adds another layer to a growing global caricature.
Loyalty is not destruction. Devotion is not disorder.
Some films genuinely attempt to honor culture and history. But turning theaters into pseudo-religious spaces—blocking emergency exits with shoes, performing rituals in aisles—creates real danger. In emergencies, these actions can cost lives. Accessibility for physically challenged individuals becomes impossible. Reverence collapses into recklessness.
Even overseas, incidents continue. On 16 December 2024 in Chicago, public displays involving posters, noise, and symbolic acts went viral—not as pride, but as mockery. Another stereotype reinforced. Another dent in collective dignity.
Cinema is a community experience, not private property. Etiquette—silence, darkness, respect—has always been the foundation of shared viewing. Yet repeated promotion of chaos has normalized its absence.
The uncomfortable truth is this: disorder sells. PR ecosystems quietly encourage it. Viral clips generate hype. Hype generates revenue. Silence follows.
But real admiration does not behave this way.
True fans support films by watching them responsibly, respecting public spaces, and allowing others to enjoy the experience. Celebration does not require humiliation of culture, religion, or community image.
Look at societies admired globally—their pride lies in discipline, cleanliness, and respect. That becomes identity.
Today, negative portrayals dominate screens. Every fourth viral clip reinforces a narrative nobody consciously chose—but everyone passively enabled.
Manners define a society. Cleanliness reflects its values. Respect shapes how the world responds.
If demanding basic civic sense is labeled elitism, then so be it.
Celebrate cinema. Celebrate stars.
But remember this:
No hero. No film. No moment of hype is bigger than collective dignity or national identity.
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