Hyderabad, May 20: Movie fans ran wild in towns and cities across Andhra Pradesh today, vandalising cinemas and attacking government buses, following the sudden cancellation of a film’s release.

Thousands who had defied the scorching sun to stand in queues for tickets exploded in rage as theatres announced that the first show at 10 am was being scrapped.

From Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Khammam to Kurnool, mob smashed up glass panes in the theatres and rained stones at buses. Violence was reported also from Visakhapatnam, Anantpur, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Nellore.

Prints of Narasimhudu, starring teenage sensation NTR Junior, grandson of the late N.T. Rama Rao, were slated to be released today in 500 cinemas across the state.

But the producer, Telugu Desam legislator C. Venkat Rao, stopped the release yesterday citing deficit sale of the film, industry sources said.

The film, also featuring Amisha Patel and Sameera Reddy, is said to have been made at a budget of Rs 20 crore.

“The market conditions pegged down the area-wise auctioning of my film to hardly Rs 12 crore,” Rao said.

His earlier film, Samara Simha Reddy, featuring NTR’s son Balakrishna, had been sold for Rs 5 crore though it had been made at three times that amount. It, however, earned him almost Rs 35 crore in revenues, the sources said.

Though Rao estimated a Rs 8-crore deficit in the sale of Narasimhudu, the industry pegged the shortfall to only Rs 2 crore.

The film’s financiers, distributors, exhibitors and industry bigwigs have been closeted at Ramanaidu studios since last evening to solve the problem. They have also spoken to NTR Junior.

The actor has appealed to his fans to stay calm. “I will ensure that you can watch the film by tomorrow at the latest.”