Ban public exhibition of 'Vishwaroopam' in present form in India: PIL

A PIL was filed in the Madras High Court today, seeking a direction to authorities to ban public exhibition of Kamal Haasan's controversial film Vishwaroopam in in its present form across India unless it is edited.

Advocate C Jebakumar George, in his PIL, submitted he had watched the film in Thiruvananthapuram and found many scenes "very violent and derogatory" of religions and races.

He contended Haasan, a self-proclaimed atheist, had no right in any way to 'denigrate' religious sentiments and the freedom to profess any religion.

He also said the examining committee of the Central Board of Film Certification had only one Muslim member who again was an atheist by ideology and would not mind the 'religious and racial discrimination.'

He sought a direction to the authorities to issue a ban on public screening of the film in its present form across the country unless and until it was edited and in conformity with Guidelines XII and XIII of the Cinematograph Act.

Tamil Nadu government had on January 23 banned the screening of the film for two weeks in the face of opposition by some Muslim outfits who claimed the nearly Rs100 crore movie, made in Tamil, Telegu and Hindi, portrayed their community in a negative light.

Haasan had last Tuesday secured interim relief from a single judge who had allowed its release but a division bench set it aside. The matter will come up for hearing on Feb 6.

The film had courted controversy not only because of opposition by the outfits but also because of the actor's decision to release it on a DTH platform prior to its release in theatres.