New Delhi: The man who attempted self-immolation to stop the screening of Fanaa in Jamnagar has succumbed to his burns. Doctors at Guru Govindsinh Hospital in Jamnagar declared him dead on Tuesday.
On June 11, 30-year-old Pravin Joshi, had torched himself in the Amber cinema hall in Jamnagar. He had received 70 per cent burns and was undergoing treatment since then.
The immolation bid came as a means to protest the actor’s remarks on Narmada dam issue that had touched off a controversy last month.
Amber is the only theatre in the state screening the latest Aamir Khan starrer Fanaa. However, unfazed by the incident, theatre authorities had decided to continue with the screening of the film.
Joshi told the police that he was disturbed by the screening of Fanaa in a theatre in Jamnagar and decided to do something to `wake up' people of Gujarat. He also said he was not affiliated to any political party or any social organisation.
Police said the initial statement of Joshi said he hails from Porbandar. "He came to Jamnagar from Rajkot and entered the cinema hall with kerosene and match box. He went inside the bathroom of the cinema at around 1730 hrs (IST), poured kerosene and torched himself", an investigating official had said.
Fanaa was opposed in Gujarat even before it was released on May 26 and there have been numerous demonstrations against it led by BJP's youth activists.
Apart from the political brickbats that Fanaa has received, even the Multiplex Owners Association have been against showing the movie till the actor "apologise" for taking a stand in the Narmada Dam matter that was against the "interest" of the people of Gujarat.
However, irrespective of repeat televised assurances of Aamir that he was not against the building of the dam and that people of Gujarat would benefit from it, the multiplex owners association has not softened its stand.
(With PTI inputs)
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