According to cinema officials, it was the trouble-free screening of Taare Zameen Par, which prompted the theatre owner to go ahead with Fanna, which was a hit. The Yash Raj production has been running since last Friday.

It is a scene quite unimaginable in Gujarat because back then the distributors were deprived of huge profits, the mob tore up film posters and one Pravin Prajapati from Jamnagar set himself ablaze in the toilet of Ambar Cinema which brought curtains down on the film’s screening.

But now, the film, just like any other release, is running quietly in Rajkot, drawing Aamir’s fans to the cinema hall, who missed the screening two years back.

On Monday, a little after noon, movie buffs — old and young — were seen queuing up at the ticket windows for an extra show at 12.45 pm.

The theatre authorities, who were not very eager to comment, said, “We were quite confident that the film would pull the crowd. It’s not usual that a two-year-old film gets a screening.”

Though Taare Zameen Par did see some pre-release protests in Vadodara, the rest of Gujarat had a trouble-free screening.

Among the fans there was hardly any who had not watched the movie on CD. Tickets were bought just to enjoy the performances and the music on a big screen.

“It has a great music and performance. It can be watched even for a second time, than any recent flicks”, said Poonam Timbadia, a schoolteacher. The movie-lovers felt the controversy was uncalled for.