SP workers to watch Chhapaak, Cong posters support

Samajwadi Party extends support to Deepika Padukone, who has been in the eye of storm after she visited the protesting students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday. Party workers will catch the film in Lucknow on Friday.

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) workers will watch Meghna Gulzar's Chhapaak, starring Deepika Padukone, at a multiplex in Lucknow on Friday while the Congress has put up posters supporting the film.

The move is aimed at expressing support to Deepika Padukone, who has been in the eye of storm after she visited the protesting students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday and came on the target of right wing activists.

A senior SP leader said: "We are also watching the film because our president Akhilesh Yadav has always been concerned about the problems of acid attack survivors. He, as chief minister, had set up the Sheroes Hangout cafe in Lucknow for acid attack survivors."

Deepika Padukone had celebrated her birthday on January 5 at Sheroes Hangout cafe with acid attack survivors.

The Samajwadi Party had booked the entire hall for a show of Chhapak which tells the story of an acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.

READ | Derek O'Brien gifts tickets of Deepika's Chhapaak to colleagues

It is not yet known if Akhilesh Yadav will also watch the film along with party leaders and workers.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shailendra Tiwari has put up posters supporting the film and urging people to watch it.

This comes in the wake of a section of right wing leaders calling for a boycott of the film.

#BoycottChapak was one of the top trends on Twitter used by those who are against Padukone's decision to visit JNU, while #HumDekhengeChhapaak, #IStandWithDeepika and #IsupportDeepika trended among people praising the actor for her stand on the JNU campus violence on January 5.

With inputs from IANS