Madras Café will not release in Cineworld, Odeon and Vue Cinemas across the United Kingdom anymore. The film produced by John Abraham and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures was supposed to release today here.
The UK release has been stopped after protests from Tamils outside Cineworld Headquarters this morning.
A separate petition has also been created on change.org urging the UK cinema chains not to release the film. The petition has been signed by over 1800 people.
A Cineworld spokesperson confirmed that the chain won’t be releasing Madras Café, “”Our policy is to show a wide range of films for different audiences. However, following customer feedback and working with the film distributors, we have decided to not show Madras Café. We apologise for any inconvenience and any customers that have already made a booking can call our customer service team on 0844 815 7747 for a refund.”
Odeon and Vue websites are also not displaying showtimes and not taking online bookings.
Madras Café is a political action thriller set against the backdrop of the tumultuous and controversial Sri Lankan civil war of the 1980s. The film stars John Abraham as an Indian Army Intelligence Agent sent to Sri Lanka to break a resolute rebel group. Once there, he meets a charismatic female journalist, played by Nargis Fakhri who is determined to uncover the truth about the civil war. Together the pair uncovers a deeper, sinister conspiracy by a faceless enemy.
Madras Café released in India today.
BollyNews UK 
It is really unfortunate that theaters in UK have decided to not to show the film. Just because some politician in South India decided that the film is Anti Tamil to gain some political mileage, doesn’t mean that film can not be showed. Everybody protesting against the movie, had they even seen it. People come in the UK to gain asylum and then start to bring the country down on their terms is pathetic. Where is freedom of expression gone. This is just a film and should be taken as a film. If we start banning film because some segment might be shown in the negative light, most films can not be shown. What about all the films where Muslims are shown as terrorists and countries like Pakistan are shown to promote them , then UK should ban all those as well. What about the previous movies where Russians or Germans were villains, should they all be banned as well. My dear friends, please grow up and think open minded. In any political conflicts, there are no wrong or rights. A person can be terrorist for one side but a god for another side and everybody fights for their own cause. Great Indian freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh or Chandra |Shekher Ajad were portrayed as Terrorists by British government at the time or Raj but for Indians, they were martyrs. If you think about it, UK should not be showing any movie on Indian freedom struggle because Britishers are shown in negative light in it.. You might have a belief but you can’t force the whole world to think you yourself. As per me any movement that inflict violence is wrong and whenever rebel groups resort to violence for their cause, it is wrong and it brings them in negative light so whatever be the reason, I don’t think Indira or Rajeev Gandhi or in Fact Gandhi ji’s assassination can be justified because they have a take a difficult decision at a certain time. So in the end in these so called democratic countries like India and UK, Fascism is winning and freedom of speech and freedom of expression is losing out and I missed seeing a film, that could be a great movie experience.
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Well said Anu. Hats off !
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why r u commenting like bull shit.i think u r the north Indian.why r u ban the Pakistan cricketers in ipl matches come on please tell me.if you r ban Pakistan cricketers is correct and we are oppose for madras cafe film is wrong.you must understand one thing the film is not only oppose for politicians also all our tamilians
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Ok anu…one question..if somebody took film on u and ur family and put u in bad light.. u accept?did u encourage ur family and friends to watch that movie..say honestly?? ok i accept its just a movie..if somebody want to take the movie on a paraticular subject..they should research and shoot the real picture. madras cafe did this? i already watched this movie.. i found they are supporting srilanka genocide on tamil people like portraying tamils as demon.. is this fair to u?f atleast they should be equal on the grounds..instead of this they followed their own masala like they need a hero and villain…Hero -john ( india)..villian prabakaran-(srilanka tamils)….Yes i agree LTTE is terrorist group..but country like india and srilanka betrayed them..for your information LTTE is trained in india with govt permission. r u sure tamils are living in srilanka as equal citizen like we r in india?. we cant feel somebody pain…..u have written many things..did u think british showed movies against them in the period of indian freedon struggle….grow girl grow!!!!! if any of my words hurt u..am sorry…am the guy who respects girl as not equal ..for me they are more than men..
so apologise if any word hurts u…at the same time…dont hurt others by portraying films like this.. Truth should encourage…not half facts…..
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Dear Anu,
its not some politicians wish… its the wish of the people of India.. especially south India – tamil nadu…. people cannot accept as freedom of expression in all sorts…. i cannot make a film Gandhi as terrorist saying i had a feeling… creative feeling. we will protest if any such movie is taken as in the name of freedom of expression.. rajiv gandhi assacination details is still un revealed… most of the doubtful people were not questioned by CBI or police.. please study the jain commission report. having said that we cannot make a movie claiming they have found the solution…in the assassin, person who dropped the killer into the spot has not been questioned.. the person who arranged staying place for the killer , not been questioned…..Mr ragothanam who investigated the case has clearly stated that he is unaware that when and where the belt bomb was prepared. but in this film it clearly states bomb were prepared in certain place.. if bhagat sigh as potrayed as terrorist can u accept? like wise tamils cannot accept prabakaran as a terrorist..
subash chandra bose took weapon and formed a massive army and hit ruthlesly the bristish army… prabhakaran is a follower of subash chandra bose..please check his history.
he is the rebel fighting for his homeland where tamils been living for 3000 years ago and srilankan govt didnot want them in the land.. by making many laws like “sinhanla only act” they denied the freedom. sinhalese army men raped, killed many women in front of their husbands, children and parents… prabhakaran took wepon after he seen all these atrocities.. people who appose the movie are well grown.. ppl like you who had been fooled by media need to grow,, we indians should not allow fools to jumpover on us.
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tamils land is tamil naidu not sri lanka
staying in uk tamils will want a country here??
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fully agree with Anu
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nothing wrong with madras cafe
facts cannot be erased
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does tamils no good i am more inquisitive to see film at any cost
MUST SEE FILM
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Hello Devraj
before commenting u should know the history..srilanka is tamil country before vijayan a singalese king conquered…it has lot of proof….u can see the film nobody will stop u . u can see porn movies also nobody will stop u though…for us porn and madras cafe are same..any arrogance can see if they want…they will feel the pain if any of their members or himself as crossed d pain until unless they will write comments and supporting comments…
But u cant see the film in tamilnadu ;-)… i think if somebody made film on u very badly also u will see..because u r the gem of india…
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Surely it would be better to show the film, so that we may have a debate based on what we have seen? At the moment, the discourse centres on the withdrawal of the film from UK cinemas, and under such circumstances, it is easy to dismiss those who seek to ban it (without having seen it, let’s remember) as cranks, but if it is allowed to be screened, the public may make up their own minds, and sensible, informed discussion can flow from there.
I am disappointed in the cinema chains for bowing to this pressure; the UK is no longer a place where films are censored on political grounds, and I worry that the ease with which this current protest has caused a film to be pulled from release will set a dangerous precedent.
Play the film; let us all watch it; then let’s talk. Thank you.
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We were really looking forward to watching this new Bollywood release called Madras Café. How can a movie which is just an individual’s opinion be banned because of protests by some gangs? The Prime Minister of India was assassinated by these groups of people who have now protested that the movie ‘Madras Cafe’ should not be released in the UK. This is a very sad situation 😦
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UK is a tolerant society hence the film has been screened off. Why hasn’t this happened in India where most of the Tamils live? People have given 4* to the film. Disappointed that the wider society has to bear the grunt of a few people who take things personally. Poor spirit by Tamils!
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