The much anticipated Syra Shehroz-Kent S. Leung-starrer Chalay Thay Saath released on April 21 across Pakistan. The film’s premiere, held at the Nueplex Cinema a day before the nationwide release (April 20), generated a bit of backlash for quite a few reasons.
InstepUpdate
Shamoon Abbasi reflects on the unfortunate incident that took place with him at the Chalay Thay Saath premiere.
The much anticipated Syra Shehroz-Kent S. Leung-starrer Chalay Thay Saath released on April 21 across Pakistan. The film’s premiere, held at the Nueplex Cinema a day before the nationwide release (April 20), generated a bit of backlash for quite a few reasons. There were more guests and less seats due to which cinema management failed to accommodate a lot of people including celebrities. While we aren’t sure how many celebs didn’t get a seat, what happened with Shamoon Abbasi was regrettable.
“When I entered the cinema hall there were no empty seats so I sat on the stairs instead since the film had started,” Abbasi told Instep. “I was invited by Zhalay [Sarhadi] personally so I decided to attend the premiere otherwise I had stopped going to certain events for the past one year.”
However what happened with him at Nueplex Cinema where the premiere took place urged him not to go there again. “I’m not going to Nueplex Cinema ever again,” he stated.
Abbasi informed that while he was sitting on the stairs many people were courteous enough and asked him to take their seat but he refused. Suddenly a guy from cinema staff came and asked him to leave upon which he told them that he had been invited but since there was no seat he sat there and would leave shortly. “I didn’t want to create any scene as the movie had begun already,” the actor said. “But they came again and then the security guy grabbed me by the shoulder saying ‘Chalo chalo utho yahan se’ on which I was surprised and left right away. It was very rude of him to do that as if I’m a criminal or so.”
After the incident went viral on social media, Abbasi received a lot of calls from people from the cinema, the distribution house as well as the PR person who was looking after all the event. The actor however blames the cinema management, who responded saying it’s against their policy to allow anyone to sit on the steps. Abbasi said, “It’s the same cinema house that used to call me when Waar was running there. We went there several times, sat on the steps while they served us nachos and popcorns. Where was the policy at that time?”
It’s being said that out of the two halls – hall 3 and 4 – hall 3 was mostly occupied by families of Nueplex staffers which is why even the film’s producer Beenish Umer didn’t get a seat. What was the real issue and what went wrong is yet to be discovered. But we hope some action is taken against whoever is responsible for this episode and it doesn’t happen with anyone again.
