Canadian cinemas halt screenings of Kantara, OG and other Indian films following attacks on theatre

A movie theatre in Ontario has decided to stop the screenings of Rishab Shetty's Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 and Pawan Kalyan's They Call Him OG following arson and shooting attacks on two separate occasions in the past week. Authorities at Film.ca Cinemas in Oakville believe the attacks are linked to the screenings of South Asian films. The first attack happened on September 25 at around 5:20 am. Halton police said that two suspects with red gas cans "used a flammable liquid to ignite a fire at the exterior entrance doors of the theatre." According to the police, the theatre sustained "moderate damage" and the fire remained contained to the exterior of the property. Film.ca shared a video showing a grey SUV at the theatre at around 2 am, and a person in a hoodie checking the entrance.

The car was seen in the parking lot two more times. Then, at around 5.15 am, a white SUV came, and two individuals can be seen pouring liquid out of red jerrycans. They set the area ablaze and leave. The police released the description of the two suspects, with one of them a white person wearing black pants, a black hoodie, dark-coloured high-top shoes, gloves and a medical mask. The second person was wearing black pants, a black hoodie, white slip-on sandals, white socks, gloves and a medical mask.

The second attack happened on October 2, when one person fired multiple rounds through the entrance doors of the building at 1:50 am. The police said in this case, the suspect was a dark-skinned male in all-black clothing and a black face mask. After the first attack, the CEO of Film.ca, Jeff Knoll, released a statement, saying, "We will not be backing down in the face of these cowardly acts" and that the "screenings and events are moving forward exactly as planned."

However, after the second attack, the theatre has decided to stop all screenings of "South Asian films". Film.ca said on Thursday, "Evidence seems to show that the participation in the exhibition of South Asian films has led to these incidents at our theatre and other theatres across the GTA." The theatre has now withdrawn the screenings of Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 and They Call Him OG.

Another Canadian theatre, York Cinemas, has also cancelled the screenings of Indian movies. "Due to recent incidents, we will not be screening Indian movies until further notice. This decision has been made with the safety of our employees and guests in mind," the theatre said in a statement. Hatton Police believe that both were targeted attacks. Some reports suggest that they could be linked to Khalistani extremists in the area. However, the police haven't commented on this angle yet. Officials have requested that anyone with information contact the District Criminal Investigations Bureau.