HYDERABAD: Calling the ban on music in pubs past 10 in the night as Talibanisation of Hyderabad, film director Ram Gopal Varma wondered why can’t young people have “little fun” after a day’s hard work.
“I didn’t realise that Hyderabad is being ruled in Taliban style which is what I felt when I saw a pub looking like a graveyard thanks to the No Music After 10 pm order (sic),” tweeted the director, who shows penchant for controversy.
Police started implementing rules on playing music at pubs in the night after the Telangana High Court on September 13 directed police commissioners of Hyderabad city, Rachakonda and Cyberabad to file a report on the action taken against managements of pubs that were playing music beyond the permitted time — 10 pm — and beyond the permitted decibel levels.
The film director, however, believes that the implementation of no-music after 10 pm rule is as barbaric as the Taliban’s decisions to stop young people from having fun. “I can understand sound pollution enforcement on a case to case basis but to give a blanket order for all places… (sic),” Varma said on his Twitter handle.
“Please understand that by the time one comes back home from work, gets freshened up, dresses up and drives back to reach a pub, it will be nearly 10 pm and then no music?,” he asked.
While issuing directions to the police, Justice Lalitha Kanneganti said on September 30 that if the police implemented the rule concerning the time limit, all pubs in the city would have to go silent by 10 pm.
The term “night time”, according to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (a central government legislation), means the period between 10 pm and 6 am.
“Just because of some stray incidents, which should be strictly dealt with on a case to case basis, no music after 10 pm seems like banning traffic because of a few accidents… While your intentions are respected, I think it’s insulting to the youth for the government to have a “Talibanish” outlook towards what they think is right and wrong in terms of the youth just having a good time,” the film director said tagging minister K.T. Rama Rao and the Hyderabad commissioner of police.
After the High Court’s September 13 direction, the police started a drive on September 30 on pubs to ensure that they comply with the orders on stopping music by 10 pm. The police clarified that pubs cannot claim exemption on the grounds that they are not situated in any residential locality.
Speaking about the action of police, the director said, “The policemen, who do vigils at the pubs, behave as if the youth and the pub management are some kind of criminals… I wish this attitude changes and they earn the title of friendly police.”
The High Court’s directions came in response to petition filed B. Subhash Reddy and five others. They were aggrieved by the unbearable noise from the pubs late into the nights. They said that the pub customers park their vehicles in front of their houses.
When the petitions were filed in 2021, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy had issued notices to officials of all concerned departments asking them to file their contentions.
Notices were also sent to pubs operating in Jubilee Hills, including 800 Jubilee, Farzi Café, Amnesia Lounge Bar, Hylife Brewing company, Daily dose bar hop, Dirty Martini Kitchen and Cocktail bar, Broadway, the brewery, Makoberen World coffee and Heart Cup coffee etc. In their response, officials filed their submissions stating that action had been initiated against all violators.
