Bangalore : The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ordered the Karnataka government to provide adequate security to film theatres screening Rajinikanth starrer Kaala that has run into trouble after pro-Kannada activists protested against the film of the superstar to express their resentment against his statements on the Cauvery issue.

The Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce had expressed its reservations against screening of the film in sympathy with the sentiments of the pro-Kannada activists, as Cauvery was a state issue with which the Kannada film industry was also on the same page as the protesters.

The Karnataka High Court order came on a petition filed by the producers of Kaala, Wunderbar Films, pleading that the film’s screening be allowed in the state and argued that the film viewers also had fundamental right to chose the film they wanted to watch. However, it must be clarified that there is no government ban on the exhibition of the film. It is only that the film chambers in Karantaka has expressed its unwillingness to screen the film.

Justice G. Narendar’s interim order asking the Karnataka government to give security to theatres showing Kaala came on a petition filed by producer Dhanush and director Aishwarya, incidentally both close relatives of Rajinikanth. While Dhanush is the superstar’s son-in-law, Aishwarya is his daughter.

Karnataka Additional Advocate General A.G. Shivanna told the court that the state government did not ban the film but only private distributors and exhibitors voluntarily decided not to screen the film to avoid law and order problems. The court asked for a list of film distributors and theatres that were willing to show the film if given adequate security.

Incidentally, chief minister HD Deve Gowda also appealed for the screening of the film to be deferred till Cauvery issue was settled. He said he was not saying this as the chief minister but as a Kannadiga.