Home ›› 05 Aug 2022 ›› Show Biz
Refusing to provide an elderly man with a ticket for watching the blockbuster movie Poran by the Star Cineplex’s Mirpur branch for wearing a lungi triggered a stir across the movie arena of Bangladesh.
The incident triggered a widespread protest online and some movie buffs also announced to watch the movie wearing lungi en masse as a symbolic protest.
In the face of protests, the Star Cineplex issued a public statement on their verified Facebook page Thursday claiming that the lungi episode was most likely to be a sequel to an “unfortunate misunderstanding”.
“We would like to clarify that the Star Cineplex does not discriminate against customers based on anything, least over a person’s attire. No such policies exist at our organisation that would deny a person the right to purchase a ticket because of them choosing to wear a lungi. We want to emphasise everyone is welcome to experience their favourite movies at our cinema halls. The incident being circulated through social media is most likely the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding. We are deeply shocked to see such an event take place and grateful to the relevant parties for bringing it to our attention.
We, at Star Cineplex, are committed to deliver the best cinematic experience possible to our customers and we would like to warmly invite this person alongside his family at our Sony Square branch to watch Poran. Furthermore, we are investigating this incident as we speak so as to ensure no such misunderstandings take place in the future. Thank you for being with us,” read the Facebook post.
On Wednesday evening, a video of a senior citizen started circulating on a Facebook group called ‘Bangla Chalachitra.’ The video showed the statement of the old man standing in front of the ticket counter and how Star Cineplex’s Mirpur Branch authority did not let him buy a ticket for the film ‘Poran’ as he was wearing a lungi, a common Bangladeshi attire for men. At the end of the 35-second-long video, the senior citizen said that he will now return home as he could not buy a ticket.
The video instantly became viral on Bangladeshi virtual space and netizens demanded a public apology for the alleged act committed by the multiplex authority. Some film buffs have even created several online events to go to Star Cineplex’s Sony Square branch at Mirpur wearing a lungi to protest the alleged incident.
The ongoing debate caught the attention of the film’s lead cast Sariful Razz and he posted a statement on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday evening regarding the incident. He asked if anyone could identify and provide the cell phone number of the man in the video and promised that the senior citizen can watch the entire film wearing a lungi with him and the entire team of ‘Poran.’
