HC postpone judgement to Tuesday

Actor Kamal Hassan in Vishwaroopam

The Madras High Court on Monday deferred its decision on the screening of Kamal Hassan's Vishwaroopam film till Tuesday.

The single Judge bench of Justice K.Venkatraman was to deliver Judgement on Monday (today), but it was postponed to Tuesday.

The Judge observed since the actor-producer is in Chennai he should meet government officials and explore amicable solution.

Meanwhile the actor will challenge section-144 which restricts the assembly of more than four persons imposed by the Collectors in respective districts.

TN Govt. bans release of VRoopam for two weeks

( N Thyagarajan )


At  a high-level meeting held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the TN government has issued orders to ban the release of the mega-budget film Vishwaroopam for two weeks.

The government has issued the orders and faxed it to all the district collectors.

The film is to hit all cinema halls on January 25th and the Direct-to-Home show to take place on February 2.
The film was produced in tri-lingual, namely, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi at a cost of Rs 95 crores.

Actor Kamal Hassan with some artistes and technicians of the Vishwaroopam had gone to Los Angels to premier the film for some of Hollywood artistes, it is understood.

Following protests from 24 Muslim outfits which met the TN Home Secretary R.Rajagopal under the banner of Federation of Muslim Organisations explained the Film is aimed to tarnish the image of the Islam and Muslims and added its release would disturb the communal harmony.

The government had invoked prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Cr PC, citing a possible law and order situation in the run-up to Milad-ul-Nabi.

But the producer-actor Kamal Hassan in an interview to a private news channel, has said that he treats the Muslim as his own brothers and in no way portrayed them in 'poor light'. He also said that his Muslim brothers would appreciate him after they watched the movie.

TN Government bans the release of VR for two weeks

The government on Wednesday instructed all district collectors to prevent the film's screening for two weeks days by invoking prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, citing a possible law and order situation in the run-up to Milad-ul-Nabi. Sources said the government directive was faxed to all the district collectors, who in turn ordered theatre owners not to screen the film. 

While Haasan is in the US for the film's release in theatres there, the ban in Tamil Nadu could prove a major setback for the actor-director. The decision to ban the film was taken on Wednesday evening at a meeting convened by the chief minister at the secretariat soon after she returned from Kodanad. 

An official release said the CM chaired a high-level meeting to review law and order situation in the state. "The chief minister was concerned the film could aggravate the law and order situation in the state and sought views of senior officials. It was then decided that the film would be banned for two weeks," said a senior government official. 

The decision came after representatives of 24 Muslim organizations and political parties, under the banner of 'Federation of Muslim Organisations', met home secretary R Rajagopal at the secretariat on Wednesday. "The film is aimed at tarnishing Islam and Muslims. Its release is bound to disturb communal harmony," Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam leader and MLA M H Jawahirullah said.

Vishwaroopam DTH show price will be less

Actor Kamal Hassan has been meeting all the DTH operators to fix the minimum price for the show of the mega-budget film Vishwaroopam on DTH platforms on February 2.

Earlier, Rs.1000 from each DTH subscriber was fixed, but then the show of the film through the DTH platforms was scheduled to take place a day before the release of the film in cinema Halls. Now the film is getting released throughout India in three vernaculars, namely Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, on January  25th and the show through the DTH for its subscribers was fixed on only February 2.

Following the decision taken at a meeting by Kamal Hassan with a section of cinema theater owners, the DTH show was fixed only after the release of the film in cinema halls. It has also been decided to exhibit the show in more than 500 cinema halls.

The scheduled DTH show would take thrice, instead of one show as was originally planned and Kamal has been finding ways and means to reduce the price of the ticket from Rs.1000, so that many DTH subscribers would be able to subscribe to watch the film from their houses.

VISHWAROOPAM RELEASE ON JAN.25

By N.Thyagarajan

Raj Kamal's mega-budget film Vishwaroopam will hit cine theaters in Tamil Nadu on January 25th, according to a release from the production office. But the idea of screening of the film on DTH platforms a day prior to the release date was given up, as some of the city theater owners after a meeting with Kamal Hassan has reached a settlement.

It is feared if the Vishwaroopam is exhibited through the Direct-To-Home platforms to its subscribers, say there are more than 7.5 million subscribers in India, it would affect the revenue collection of theaters. A section of theater owners opposed the move of Kamal Hassan, though the actor has every right to sell his product to whomsoever he thinks fit enough to run the show, Kamal wanted to introduce the idea of showing the film as a one-time-show on DTH platforms for the first time in the country. But this did not take place.

In a recently concluded meeting, Kamal Hassan has agreed to release the film in theaters on January 25th and the show on DTH platforms would be made on February 2, next month. Originally, it was planned to exhibit the show as one single-show now this has changed as three shows on that day.

Kamal is thinking of reducing the sale priceof ticket per show/ per subscriber from Rs.1000. By doing so, the tickets could be affordable by the families living on the middle-income and lower-income strata. Further, it would boost the number of DTH subscribers to enjoy the movie by sitting in their homes and watching it.

Kamal has invited all private players who provide DTH connections in this matter to reach a settlement, it is learnt.

Kamal is the first actor-producer who has introduced the system of screening the movie through the DTH for the first time and this can't be disputed by anyone and Kamal is walking on the vertex of the Indian film industry.

A Film on Match fixing directed by a transgender ready for release

                                                                                                                                                                                                 A film on match fixing and other irregularities that take place is well scripted and is directed by Rose, a scholar and a transgender is getting readied in English, followed by its dubbing in Tamil and Telugu versions.

The film is titled Cricket Scandal is being produced in English in which Kishan Ramachandran is the hero opposite Rose, the director of the film.

The film brings out many more skeletons from cupboard of the cricket scandals like match-fixing and other fraudulent activities of various persons involved in scandals. It also brings out the troubles faced by thirdgenders in a given society and also comes out with salvation.

The story-line of the film goes like this. A leading cricket player falls in love with a third-gender who is a club-dancer. Their relationship has become more intimate, and each Jack and Jill vows to solve their problems unitedly.

Nearly 90 percent of the production is over and the film would be released throughout India and in particular the film will be dubbed into Tamil and Telugu for its release in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh simultaneously.

50 million DTP customers await for Vishwaroopam Show

A Special Report: By: N.Thyagarajan

Around 50 million DTP Channel customers await eagerly to watch Kamal Hassan's Vishwaroopam produced at a cost of around Rs.95 crores.

Though many cinema hall owners initially opposed the move of Kamal Hassan's to screen the new film through DTH platforms, slowly they began to realize that a one-time screening of show in no way would affect the cinema Halls' collections.

A film like Vishwaroopam with new technical ideas could be felt only in theaters, as some of the DTH customers feel, but some say that the LCD TVs will be able to produce the sound effect that is produced in cinema Halls.

However, the release date for the Kamal's Vishwaroopam is nearing and as usual Kamal's fans and others who wish to see the film through DTH, by remitting a small fraction of amount with their respective private DTH operators, waiting to eagerly watch the show.

According to some of the DTH customers, though they are prepared to shell out any amount to watch the film a day before its release in cine theaters, they are not prepared to include any of their neighbours or dears on the day when the film is show through the DTH platforms.