Free movie screenings are raining on voters in Karnataka this election season.
After households in Mandya were handed out free tickets to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil’s Sandalwood flick Seetharama Kalyana, a state BJP leader has now organised free, week-long screening of the Bollywood movie Uri: The Surgical Strike at a Bengaluru mall.
This move by former KR Puram legislator N S Nandish Reddy is seen as an attempt to better his chances at getting the ticket to contest from the Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, where the incumbent MP is Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda. Reddy has booked the 9 am slot for the movie at Arena Mall in Doddanekundi.
“People of Bangalore North can watch the movie for free till next Tuesday (February 12) by contacting the ward committees,” Reddy told reporters.
“If we’re able to watch movies, eat at hotels or even move about freely, it’s because of our soldiers. We’ve lost many soldiers in the past 60 years due to political decisions that weren’t taken. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a decision to respond when our soldiers were attacked (in Uri),” Reddy said.
A line from Uri: The Surgical Strike - How’s the Josh? - has come to be a warcry for Modi’s supporters ahead of the election. In fact, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman watched the film with ex-service personnel in Bengaluru and shouted out this line, whose video was circulated on social media.
Last week, free tickets to Seetharama Kalyana were distributed in Mandya. This was done reportedly to project Nikhil as the JD(S) candidate for the Mandya Lok Sabha seat. DH had reported this on February 1.
Reacting to the story, the chief minister had said JD(S) party workers gave out the free movie tickets and claimed it had nothing to do with Nikhil’s political ambitions. “Neither Nikhil nor I have said he will contest from Mandya. He’s an upcoming artiste and needs encouragement. His acting has received good response,” he said.