Altered Image Shared to Show Security Personnel Outside Theatres for Pathaan

The original picture dates back to January 2018, when Bollywood film Padmaavat had released.

Amid the release of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's film Pathaan, a picture of some security personnel outside a theatre with the film's poster is going viral on the internet.

What are users claiming?: Social media users shared the image with a caption in Hindi that said, "There is an atmosphere of fear."

(Archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)

Are these claims true?: No, the picture has been altered to add Pathaan's poster. The original one dates back to January 2018, when the Bollywood film Padmaavat had released and was surrounded by controversies.

How did we find out?: A reverse image search led us to a report published in Business Standard, which carried similar pictures to the viral one.

• It mentioned that the image was taken outside Delite Cinema in Delhi after the release of Padmaavat.

A report in The Indian Express published on 26 January 2018 mentioned that the film was screened under high security.

• It provided details of protests in different states against the film, which turned violent in some states.

• The report also contained a similar picture of some security personnel outside Delhi's Delite Cinema.

• The protests were led by Karni Sena, who expressed their displeasure with it and demanded a ban.

Security forces for Pathaan?: According to recent reports, security personnel have been deployed outside a theatre in Guwahati, Assam.

• This comes after some people from Bajrang Dal allegedly pulled down film posters on 20 January.

• When asked about the violent incident and the film, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma seemed to say he didn't know who actor Shah Rukh Khan was.

• However, a day later, the chief minister tweeted on his official handle about a call that he received from the actor, and Sarma had ensured he'd ensure law and order is maintained in the state.

Bollywood actor Shri @iamsrk called me and we talked today morning at 2 am. He expressed concern about an incident in Guwahati during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law & order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 22, 2023

Conclusion: The image has been altered to add the film Pathaan's poster. A comparison showed that the picture dates back to 2018, when the film Padmaavat was released.

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