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Salman Rushdie: Calcutta visit to promote Midnight's Children cancelled | Salman Rushdie: Calcutta visit to promote Midnight's Children cancelled |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Author Sir Salman Rushdie's visit to the Indian city of Calcutta to promote the Midnight's Children film has been cancelled at the last minute. | Author Sir Salman Rushdie's visit to the Indian city of Calcutta to promote the Midnight's Children film has been cancelled at the last minute. |
A cinema chain official said an event to promote the film had been scrapped. | A cinema chain official said an event to promote the film had been scrapped. |
The author was also expected to drop in at a literary event at a book fair where director Deepa Mehta and actor Rahul Bose were addressing a session. | The author was also expected to drop in at a literary event at a book fair where director Deepa Mehta and actor Rahul Bose were addressing a session. |
Organisers of the event said the police asked for a written guarantee that the author would not attend. | Organisers of the event said the police asked for a written guarantee that the author would not attend. |
Sir Salman is considered a controversial figure in India where his 1988 book The Satanic Verses remains banned. | Sir Salman is considered a controversial figure in India where his 1988 book The Satanic Verses remains banned. |
Last year, he withdrew from the Jaipur Literature Festival after reports of a death threat. He was also forced to abandon plans to address the gathering by a video link after protesters threatened to march on the venue. | Last year, he withdrew from the Jaipur Literature Festival after reports of a death threat. He was also forced to abandon plans to address the gathering by a video link after protesters threatened to march on the venue. |
The film based on Sir Salman's novel of the same name opens in India on Friday. | The film based on Sir Salman's novel of the same name opens in India on Friday. |
Correspondents say it is believed that the police told the organisers that if Sir Salman came to the city he would be sent back immediately. | |
Also, reports said the state government did not want the author in the city - a few years ago, there were protests against the visit of the controversial Bengali writer Tasleema Nasreen and the authorities were concerned about similar protests and civil disorder. |
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