VHP workers hold unauthorised protest against 'Pathaan' in Bengaluru

The protesters gathered at the entrance of Veeresh Cinemas in Vijayanagar at Magadi Road and burned posters of the film

A handful of workers of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) protested against Shah Rukh Khan's new film Pathaan by burning its posters in southwestern Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The protesters gathered at the entrance of Veeresh Cinemas in Vijayanagar, Magadi Road. They carried two posters asking for boycotting the film, which was released in theatres on Wednesday.

They later trampled on the posters, doused them in petrol and burnt them.

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While the protest received some media attention, a VHP leader said the agitation was "not authorised" by the organisation. "We didn't even know about the protest until the media covered it," he told DH, adding that the outfit doesn't have a unit in Vijayanagar.

"It looks like some workers did the protest on their own without specific instructions from the organisation," the leader, requesting anonymity. "The top functionaries were not aware of the protest plan."

The leader said the workers would be warned against protesting without explicit permission and prior planning from the top brass.

Hindutva outfits have called for boycotting Pathaan over a dance sequence that shows actress Deepika Padukone wearing a saffron bikini.