Vinod M Jain
The Banashankari police have directed the management of Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy to suspend all ongoing and scheduled performances at the venue until further orders,citing security concerns and an ongoing investigation into the controversy surrounding the staging of a play on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
In a notice dated November 1,2026,the police said the matter concerning the academy was under investigation and instructed its management to postpone all performances until further orders.
The police warned that the management would face legal consequences if any performance was held and resulted in a law-and-order problem.
The police action comes amid escalating protests over playwright and director Addanda C.Cariappa’s controversial play,Gandhi Hatyeya Satya (The Truth of Gandhi’s Murder).
On Monday afternoon,tension prevailed outside the academy in Banashankari after protesters,allegedly belonging to the Congress,confronted Cariappa while he was addressing the media.
Some demonstrators reportedly hurled slippers at him, accusing him of spreading falsehoods and tarnishing Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
The confrontation followed an earlier disruption of the play’s staging at the academy over the weekend,when protesters allegedly stormed the venue and smeared black ink on Cariappa’s face.
The protesters have objected to the play’s portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi and its references to the Partition, alleging that the production distorts history and makes derogatory references to the Father of the Nation.
Police personnel intervened during Monday’s confrontation to prevent the situation from escalating. The police have received complaints in connection with the incidents and are investigating them.
The latest notice effectively puts all cultural performances at Suchitra Academy on hold until the police issue further directions.
