Vinod Kapri Claims He Was Warned Of 'Serious Repercussions' For Speaking Up As Pyre Loses Shows

Filmmaker Vinod Kapri reveals he was warned of 'serious repercussions' for speaking up about Pyre losing screens to Ramayana.

National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri has been making headlines ever since he spoke about Pyre's reduced screens because of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash in lead roles.

The director revealed how he was actually warned about facing 'serious repercussions' and the possible impact that taking a stand could have on his future in the industry. However, he chose to speak up and maintained that he had the right to question what happened to his film and stand up for smaller towns that struggle to get independent cinema into theatres.

Vinod Kapri On Warning For Standing Up

Vinod Kapri was talking to SCREEN about the advice that came his way when he opened up about Pyre's reduced screenings and revealed how many people asked him to be careful while warning him that speaking against the system may have consequences. However, he believed in his stance and refused to stay silent.

Talking about why he chose to stand up for his film, he said, "Many people told me not to speak up because I have to continue working in this industry and there could be serious repercussions. I told them I don't want to be part of this industry in that way. I made this film while staying outside the industry. I don't want to cast big actors, nor do I think they would work with me. I want to continue telling these simple stories. If I don't stand up for my rights and for my towns today, who will?"

"Theatre owners also have their hands tied. They are under a lot of pressure. This is the first time I have seen something like this in cinema, where you are not allowing another film to be screened, even if your theatres are going to remain empty. You would rather have empty theatres than screen another film. It was really upsetting," he further added.

Pyre Gets Over 200 More Shows

He wrote, "PYRE IS GETTING ITS SHOWS BACK! Over 200 shows of PYRE are being added from Friday, 13th November. A heartfelt thank you to our audiences for standing by this little independent film and making this possible. Your love, trust and support have brought us back to more screens."

Set in the Kumaon Himalayas, Pyre narrates the story of an elderly couple, Padam Singh and Tulsi, who live together in the mountains and wait for their children, who have moved away to find better opportunities.