A cinema in Oakville, Ontario, has suspended screenings of two Indian films following back-to-back violent incidents linked to its South Asian film lineup.
Film.ca Cinemas pulled Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 and Pawan Kalyan’s They Call Him OG after the theatre was targeted twice in one week.
The first incident occurred on September 25 at around 5:20 am, when two suspects carrying red gas cans used a flammable liquid to start a fire at the theatre’s entrance. Halton police said the fire caused moderate damage but was contained to the exterior.
CCTV footage released by the theatre shows a grey SUV arriving at 2 am, followed by suspicious activity before two individuals poured liquid from jerrycans and ignited it.
A week later, on October 2, a lone gunman fired multiple rounds through the theatre’s doors at 1:50 am. Police described the suspect as a dark-skinned male with a heavy build, dressed entirely in black with a face mask.
Film.ca CEO Jeff Knoll said the decision to halt screenings was difficult but necessary for the safety of staff and patrons. “Evidence seems to show that participation in the exhibition of South Asian films has led to these incidents at our theatre and others across the GTA,” the cinema stated.
Another Canadian theatre, York Cinemas, also cancelled Indian film screenings for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, India banned extremist organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has called for all “Made in India” films to be banned in Canada.
While police have not confirmed a motive, reports in Indian media suggest the attacks may be linked to Khalistani extremists.
The incidents come amid heightened scrutiny of pro-Khalistan activity in Canada, with authorities continuing investigations into the connections between extremist groups and violent threats targeting cultural events.
The Council of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has criticised calls to ban Indian films in Canada, calling it a “chilling creep of mob-sponsored censorship.” CoHNA highlighted that the group behind the calls, SFJ, regularly promotes hate, asking Hindus to “go back,” celebrating attacks on American Hindu temples, and even issuing threats against airlines.
CoHNA condemned the Oakville theatre’s decision to cancel the screening of Kantara, a film highlighting Indigenous voices and grassroots Hindu spirituality, calling it a “shameful cave-in to mob rule and religious bigotry.”
India and Canada recently held NSA-level talks to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, including intelligence sharing and tackling organised crime.
Halton Regional Police continue to probe both attacks as deliberate, targeted acts and urged anyone with information to contact the District Criminal Investigations Bureau.
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