Those who planned to watch Aarakshan over the extended weekend in Uttar Pradesh may have been disappointed by the two-month ban on the film by the Mayawati government.
However, the ban has not prevented the film’s “release” in the state capital. On Saturday — a day after the official release of Aarakshan in the rest of the country — pirated CDs of the film were easily available in Naka Hindola, the electronic hub for duplicate goods in the state capital. Priced between `200 and `150 — depending on your bargaining skills — the pirated copies of Aarakshan, which include the objectionable dialogues and scenes, sold like hot cakes in the market.
“Since morning, when the sales began, we have sold over 250 CDs of the film which is now in huge demand. People are flocking to see the film because of the curiosity factor. Besides, many feel that the ban may never be lifted and are buying copies for the friends as well,” says Raju Kumar, a salesman at a CD shop in Naka Hindola. The shop, incidentally, is located barely 150 metres from the Naka Hindola police station.
The salesman disclosed that CDs of the controversial film were available in Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad and Meerut and would be available in smaller towns soon.
The pirated print of the film has obviously been made from the theatre print and is not exactly perfect in technical terms.
Meanwhile, when contacted, a senior police official feigned complete ignorance about the sale of pirated CDs of the banned film.
“We have bigger issues to deal with. Today is Raksha Bandhan, then Ramzan is on and Independence Day is round the corner. We are busy with security concerns and have no time to hunt out pirated CDs,” he said.