Has Shenaz Treasurywala’s open letter UPSET Mr Modi – or his supporters?

Even as Shenaz Treasurywala’s open letter addressed to PM Narendra Modi and Amitabh Bachchan among others goes viral, her movie has failed to generate any buzz. Multiplex owners gave a raw deal to Shenaz’s Main Aur Mr. Riight citing backlash from Modi followers.

Little did this former VJ know that her angry letter addressed to the PM complaining about the safety of women would backfire on her.

Puja Gujral, co-producer of Main Aur Mr. Riight is horrified with multiplex owners’ sudden decision to allot lesser number of screenings for her movie. “We were promised around 450 screens,” she tells, “and have got only approximately 320 screens after Shenaz’s letter went viral. It’s quite astonishing considering there’s no big release this week and Main Aur Mr. Riight is a multiplex movie. I don’t know why multiplex owners got sceptical. It’s very sad.”

She doesn’t understand what wrong has Shenaz done. “It’s a democratic country and can’t she voice her opinion? I support her and I don’t think she has done anything wrong. Why are multiplex owners holding it against us? Has Mr Modi told them that he’s upset with the letter?” questions Puja adding, “It’s unfair to treat small-budget films like the way they are treating us. It’s like comparing people who stays in a 30-storey tower and the one who stays in a chawl. It’s extremely sad.”

She makes an appeal to the film industry to come forward and take a stand against the multiplex owners “so that henceforth the same doesn’t happen with any other producer.”

Some are also questioning that Shenaz’s timely letter could be a publicity stunt for her film. How much truth is in that? However, Puja denies it harshly, “As a team, Shenaz and I wouldn’t stoop down to such level to promote a film. Let people assume what they want to. Recently, a woman slapped her movie director on stage in front of media which you can call a publicity stunt. I don’t think such cheap publicity stunts help a film because people would rather watch the video on YouTube than go to the theatre and watch the film.”

She further adds, “Shenaz and I were discussing how safe a woman is in metropolitan cities, including Mumbai and I didn’t know that she would write a letter addressing it to Narendra Modi or else I would’ve joined her to incorporate my feelings as a woman and promoted the cause.”