Hyderabad:
Actor Kamal Haasan's film Vishwaroopam did not release in Tamil Nadu today after the Madras High Court put restrictions on it till January 28, but the movie was being screened in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Distributors and theatre owners in Hyderabad said the Telugu version of the movie was running since morning.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said some groups did approach him to stop the screening but there were no reports of disruptions at theatres anywhere in the city.
The fate of the Rs 95-crore film in Tamil Nadu would be decided by the Madras High Court on Monday. Tomorrow, a judge will review the film, which has been banned by the Tamil Nadu government for two weeks because of protests by Muslim groups.
"Whether the film has got any scenes affecting the sentiment of the people, who have given complaint, or not could be decided only after viewing the film," Justice K Venkataraman said yesterday.
The Tamil Nadu government banned the film's release in 500 theatres across the state. Director Kamal Haasan described the ban as "cultural terrorism" and appealed in court.
He had invited the leaders of Muslim organisations to a special screening of the film recently, but the viewing did not change their opinion that the movie "could disturb communal harmony".
"The movie shows Muslims in bad light, as terrorists and we want a total ban on the movie," SM Hidayathullah, Chairman, Council for National Integration, had told NDTV. His organisation is among several opposing the movie.
But Kamal Haasan countered that Vishwaroopam was the "most Muslim-friendly film in recent times".
"My sensibilities are truly insulted. I've been ruthlessly used as vehicle by small groups seeking political profile. Icon bashing is a great way to be noticed when you are not one yourself. It is happening again and again. Any neutral and patriotic Muslim will surely feel pride on seeing my film. It was designed for that purpose," he said.
(Read full statement)The Hindi version of the film is scheduled for a February 1 release. The film is a spy thriller, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead along with Rahul Bose, Pooja Kumar and Jaideep Ahlawat.
While Kamal Haasan has found support in the social media, the response of the Tamil film fraternity has been largely muted.
Kamal Haasan's dream to premiere the movie on the Direct to Home (DTH) platform didn't take off after theatre owners in Tamil Nadu opposed the move, apprehending revenue loss. However, the actor had decided to release the film on DTH a week after its release in theatres. Tamil Nadu accounts for a major chunk of the revenue with around 500 screens originally scheduled to screen the movie from tomorrow.
But insiders in the Tamil film industry say there is more to what meets the eye. The real battle, many say, is over the acquisition of television rights of the movie which is presently held by a private channel.