Shots were fired at the doors of Scarborough cinema in the early hours of Thursday morning.
No one was injured in the shooting, according to Toronto Police, but the door to the Woodside Square Cinemas was hit by bullets. Police requested people who may have information about the incident contact them.
Woodside Cinemas, which screens South Indian films, is next to Woodside Plaza in the Toronto suburb. It’s a popular hangout for South Asians, but in recent years theatres across Canada that show these movies have experienced acts of vandalism and attacks. South Asian movie buffs have complained that big multiplexes across Canada won’t show their favourite movies.
The theatre is currently screening Jailer, starring Rajnikath. The movie premiered Aug. 9 in Canada. In India, Rajnikanth is a superstar and a household name in South India.
Laura Brabant, spokesperson for the Toronto Police department, refused to comment on any potential connection between this occurrence and the series of incidents reported over the past few years.
An email sent to Woodside Cinemas for more details about the incident received no response.
South Indian moviegoers have complained about big multiplexes across Canada refused to play their favourite movies.
Canada is home to about 200,000 Tamil-speaking residents, the largest diaspora in the world. About 45,000 Tamil people live in Scarborough.
Shilpashree Jagannathan is a Hamilton-based freelance journalist and editor whose work has appeared in CBC News, New Canadian Media, The Margin, Business Insider, TRT World and Mint, and has been republished by The Walrus. She reports on immigration, labour, affordability, housing, elections, climate impacts and social justice, focusing on how policy and power shape the lives of households, workers, newcomers and local communities. Drawing on more than a decade in business journalism in India and a strong background in investigations, research and editorial work, she brings rigour and empathy to stories that trace the gap between policy and lived experience. She has also appeared on podcasts and radio programs to discuss her reporting and its broader public-policy implications.
