'It Has Been So Long Fighting This Battle': Manoj Bajpayee Supports Filmmaker Kanu Behl As Multiplexes Deny Shows To Agra

Director Kanu Behl's Agra, which has been doing the rounds of the film festivals for the past couple of years, has finally hit the big screens today (November 14, 2025). However, the filmmaker on Thursday took to X (Twitter) to reveal that multiplexes have denied his film shows due to other movies. Manoj Bajpayee, who worked with Kanu in Despatch, took to X (Twitter) to support him.

The filmmaker tweeted, "Update on ‘Agra’, the film: We’re being denied shows because of the so called ‘big blockbusters’ and because small films ‘don’t fit into’ multiplex chain programming. It’s up to you the audience now! Speak up and tag the chains. Say that you want to see the film! (sic)."

He further wrote, "Spread the word. Or this will just go on and on. And the space for anything else other than mindless ‘infantilised cinema’ will disappear."

Bajpayee retweeted Kanu's tweet and wrote, "It has been so long fighting this battle, and indie makers and their art often get overlooked in the wider cinema space. Keep at it, Kanu, your effort truly matters. Everyone should come forward and support small meaningful cinema by asking their theatres to give these films a fair chance (sic)."

Replying to the actor, the filmmaker tweeted, "Thank you sir it’s surprising how endless this battle is. You’ve been fighting for years. And now it continues for us. Like nothing ever changes (sic)." Check out the tweets below...

Agra has clashed at the box office with movies like De De Pyaar De 2 and Kaal Trighori. The Kanu Behl directorial stars Mohit Agarwal, Priyanka Bose, Rahul Roy, Devas Dikshit, Ruhani Sharma, Vibha Chibber, Sonal Jha, and Aanchal Goswami.

Agra At Film Festivals

Agra was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023. In the same year in August, the movie was screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where it won the Best Indie Film award and Mohit Agarwal won Best Performance in Film (male) award.

Later, it was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival, 20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, and Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023.