KATHMANDU, June 18: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to halt the screening of Indian films in cinema halls within the metropolis effective from Monday. The decision comes after Mayor Balendra Shah's secretariat issued instructions to the metropolitan police to ensure compliance with the new directive.

In response to Mayor Shah's instructions, the metropolitan police will be visiting all theaters in the area by Sunday evening to instruct them against screening Indian films. The secretariat announced that the screening of Indian films in all cinema halls within the Kathmandu metropolis will be discontinued starting from Monday. The city police have been deployed to enforce this decision.

Kathmandu metropolis is home to 17 movie halls, spread across its 32 wards. The decision to halt the screening of Indian films stems from Mayor Shah's dissatisfaction with the South Indian film 'Adipurush'. The mayor is specifically unhappy with the inclusion of the sentence "Janki is the daughter of India." Mayor Shah had given a three-day ultimatum through his Facebook status to rectify the dialogue, which remained unaddressed.

In a recent Facebook post, Mayor Shah expressed his apprehensions regarding the screening of the movie, emphasizing the potential harm it could inflict upon Nepal's cultural unity and national identity. Referring to Clause (6) of Article 5 and Article 56 of the Constitution of Nepal, the Mayor highlighted the shared responsibility of the federal, provincial, and local governments in safeguarding the national interest. 

He expressed concerns that if the film were to be shown in its current state, it could result in significant and irreparable damage to Nepal's nationality, cultural unity, and national identity. The mayor further emphasized the need to address the issue promptly, given the perceived cultural encroachment depicted in the film, which has garnered considerable attention within the metropolis.

As of Sunday evening, the filmmakers have failed to correct the dialogue in question. Moreover, Manoj Muntashir, the lyricist and writer of the film, has made statements insinuating that Janaki is the daughter of India, incorrectly suggesting that Nepal was part of India before 1903.

Mayor Shah escalated the matter further by sending a letter to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on Friday, urging them to cease the screening of Indian films in Nepal if the objectionable dialogue is not promptly removed.

 
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