Dhurandhar The Revenge paid preview in Noida stops mid-way, creates havoc; angry fans say: ‘8 baje se wait…’

WChapeau was meant to be an scoop paid trailer of Dhurandhar The avenge turned into hours of discombobulation, anger and protests at PVR Superplex, Mall of India in Noida last night (March 18), after shows were abruptly halted mid-way due to what was called a "technical glitch". Fans of the Aditya Dhar directorial lamented not being able to watch Ranveer Singh's action in the second half.Audiences who had watched only the first half were made to wait for hours before all screenings were eventually cancelled, as the situation escalated with protests, police intervention, and allegations of mismanagement.This was not a lone incident, as social media is filled with disgruntled cinephiles, who stated shows were cancelled and some even halfway across the country in cities including Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai etc. The disruption began during the 5.45pm show when the interval, expected to last 10 minutes, stretched into an indefinite delay. Audience members were told there was a “technical glitch”, but no clarity was provided on when, or if, the film would resume. Halted shows, stranded audienceFor many viewers, the frustration stemmed from having watched only half the film before being made to wait endlessly.Shashank Singh, a businessman from Sector 78 who attended the screening with his wife Swati, said, “8 baje se hum wait kar rahe hain. Audi 1 ka show stall kar diya, but they were still running the shows in the rest of the screens!"Swati added, “They kept telling us five more minutes, and kept selling popcorn and Pepsi as if the show will start soon. We spent ₹2,000 extra just on F&B and for what? They have made the money from the sales, but what about our time and money?” The disruption soon spread to other screenings. The 6.45pm show in Audi 2 started nearly an hour late and was also halted after the interval.“We’ve all just been spending hours here waiting for whatever will happen. They are not even telling us, show hoga bhi nahi? There’s just chaos!” said Deveshi Madan, a Delhi-based lawyer. Confusion, threats and lack of communicationAs the situation worsened, several audience members alleged mismanagement and lack of transparency from theatre staff.Sakshi Srivastava, a makeup artist, said, “I saw that the movie’s second half was playing in another audi. When I questioned this, they told me that if I stand here, they will call police. How can you threaten action against a person trying to get their money’s worth?”Puneet Panchal, who attended with his wife and son, said, “We can’t spare six hours every day. We were willing to wait for the glitch to resolve, but these people were not giving us any answers.”Madhura Walia, a resident of Sector 29, added, “We were just asked to go home. One staff member told us it was some issue with certification and that all later shows had been cancelled. Now nothing was working — what’s the point?”Protests inside the theatreAs hours passed without resolution, the atmosphere inside the multiplex turned increasingly volatile, with groups of moviegoers raising slogans of “haye haye PVR” and demanding that the film be screened.Tensions escalated further when the theatre was being prepared for a 10pm show in another screen, even as those who had only seen the first half were still waiting.Shalini Jain, who had booked IMAX tickets, said, “Humne excitement mein book kari. Aapne aadhe logon ko dikhaya aur aadho ko bhaga diya. How is this fair? Issue refund ka nahin hai. Preview ka experience hi kharab kar diya.” Police called inWith the crowd growing restless, theatre staff called the police. Ravish, head of security at DLF, said, “Ye technical glitch aya tha. Crowd restless ho raha tha, toh police bulani padi.”A police official present at the spot said, “We were only there in case of any untoward incident. This was a highly anticipated film. Hum nahi chahte koi durghatna ho.”Eventually, after audience members protested against fresh shows being screened, the theatre shut down all screenings and began evacuating the premises, with police escorting several people outside.Refunds issued, but anger remainsAccording to a staff member, refunds were being processed, but the issue stemmed from content delivery. “This was a problem from the distributors’ side. We had around 1,200 people and limited screens. Our hands were tied. Ab ye sab backend se ek hafte mein process hoga, what can we do now? Hum bhi gaaliyaan kha rahe hain," a staffer told us on condition of anonymity.However, many attendees said the experience went beyond inconvenience. “They shut off air conditioning, lights, even access to washrooms. This is basic human dignity,” alleged Advait Marathe, a student. In a more serious allegation, Arshdeep Singh claimed he was mistreated by authorities. “I was only trying to keep people calm, but I was escorted out, my phone was seized and I was slapped. I have spoken to my lawyer and will take legal action.”Fans travelled across cities, only to face cancellationsThe chaos was particularly disheartening for fans who had made special efforts to catch the preview.Shankar S, who flew in from Hyderabad after shows were cancelled there, said, “I took a 6pm flight to Delhi just to watch this. I’ve booked tickets till March 21. Aaj nahi hua toh koi nahi, but dekh ke hi jayenge.”The incident unfolded amid massive buzz around Dhurandhar The Revenge, with strong advance bookings and high anticipation for its pan-India release.But for many in Noida, the preview night ended with half a film.Notably, director Aditya Dhar had issued an apology earlier in the day, after the dubbed versions were cancelled across cities. However, no statement was made about the cancelled half shows at the time of filing. For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction