New Delhi, 9 June

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea seeking protection against alleged threats over the screening of Kamal Haasan's film ‘Thug Life’ in Karnataka theatres.

A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan asked the theatre association from Karnataka to approach the Karnataka High Court instead.

A lawyer, appearing for the petitioner, referred to open threats from fringe groups opposing the screening of the film in Karnataka, and said "there are open threats by fringe elements and they are saying theatres will be set on fire."

Justice Mishra, while refusing to grant an urgent hearing, said, "Install fire extinguishers" and asked the petitioner to move the high court.

‘Thug Life’ released in cinema halls across the country on 5 June.

The Tamil movie, which reunites the 70-year-old actor with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 1987's ‘Nayakan’, could not be released in Karnataka after Haasan's comments about Kannada language sparked a major controversy.

It was also released in Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam.