Canada Theatre Halts Screening Of Indian Films After Violent Attacks

A movie theatre in Canada’s Ontario province announced that it will halt the screening of Indian films after two violent attacks within a week. Films including Rishabh Shetty’s Kantara 1 and Pawan Kalyan’s They Call Him OG have been stopped from being screened at the premises. 

The theatre in Canada's Oakville, Film.ca Cinemas, said the cases of violence were connected with the fact that it is screening South Asian films. The first incident occurred on September 25 when two suspects attempted to set fire to the theatre’s entrance using red gas cans. The fire was restricted to the exterior of the building and did not spread inside. 

Security footage showed two persons trying to set fire to the theatre’s entrance. No injuries were reported as the theatre was closed at the time.

The theatre also shared CCTV footage of the incident on social media, and said, "This is not the first time we’ve faced vandalism and threats tied to the screening of Indian films. While these repeated acts are troubling, they will never deter us from providing a safe and welcoming place for our community to enjoy cinema together."

The depictions of the suspect have been revealed by the police. One of the suspects in the first incident was reportedly white, whereas the man in the second incident was described as dark.  

The second incident occurred on Thursday (02/10/2025) when a single suspect fired multiple gunshots through the theatre's entrance doors. Halton Regional Police have confirmed that both incidents were targeted and are being actively investigated. 

Film.ca Cinemas CEO Jeff Knoll said in a video message, “The other day, somebody tried to burn the theatre down in a dispute with respect to us playing South Asian films. We want our community to feel safe. We didn’t miss a single show, and we remain committed to serving our audience.”