A video clip in which a few cinema patrons are seen calling fellow audience names for not standing up when the National Anthem was being played in a theatre, has gone viral. A male person is heard saying, "Are you Pakistanis? You are standing on Indian soil. If you are against the country, I am ready to fight. Bolo Bharat Mata ki Jai'." Another voice says, "You can't stand up for 52 seconds and you have the audacity to watch a 3-hour movie." A woman comes to them and shouts a "Shut up!". Two of them join and say, "Get out of here". One of them also mentions that soldiers are sacrificing themselves at the border for India's security. The incident seems to have taken place in Bengaluru.

The video clip has generated highly polarized reactions. Many have disagreed with those who heckled at them for not standing up. Ranjani says, "I stand up for the national anthem before movies *ONLY* because I don’t want to be bullied/harassed/attacked for not doing so. It has nothing to do with patriotism. As a woman who watches movies by myself very often, I’m simply scared."

"It would be good if standing up is not made a loyalty test. It's fine not to stand up for the Anthem. The cinemas are not the place for the Anthem in the first place," says another commentator.

Commies in Theatre refused to stand during National Anthem and questioned why should we stand.

This is how they were shown door by proud Nationalists. pic.twitter.com/ltah1CW4JP

— Dr Aishwarya S (@Aish17aer) October 28, 2019