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Tag: Tamil Nadu

  • Viswaroopam cleared for screening by Madras High Court

    Viswaroopam cleared for screening by Madras High Court

    NEW DELHI: Renowned actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has received a major relief with the Madras High Court lifting the ban on his film ‘Vishwaroopam‘ which had been imposed by the Tamil Nadu government for allegedly anti-Muslim content.

    After a day-long hearing, Justice K Venkataraman passed the orders, paving the way for the screening of the movie reportedly made with a budget of nearly Rs one billion. The judge had personally seen the film on 26 January.

    The court also kept in abeyance prohibitory orders imposed by the District Collectors across the state under section 144 of the CrPC.

    During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu government questioned the ‘UA‘ certificate issued for the film and alleged that the certification of films itself was a “very big scam” and sought a probe into it by a law enforcing agency.

    Advocate General A Navaneethakrishnan said the “UA” certificate to ‘Vishwaroopam‘ was not issued by the Central Board for Film Certification, but only by an Examining Committee not mandated by provisions of the Constitution.

    Rejecting the charge, Additional Solicitor General Wilson said the certification was done by procedure. The application for certification came to the Board on 4 October 2012, the film was viewed on 8 October and a show cause notice to cut certain scenes sent on 10 October, he said.

    The cuts were accepted and removed and the final certification given on 17 October. Scenes to a running time of 1.08 minutes were cut, he said.

    Even at a meeting with the Home Secretary on 23 December last, the Examining Officer said objectionable scenes were deleted from the film, Wilson said.

    Interestingly, the film has been released globally and has also been doing well in Karnataka though it is being screened there under heavy security

  • Viswaroopam case adjourned to tomorrow; Judge wants Haasan to work out an amicable solution

    Viswaroopam case adjourned to tomorrow; Judge wants Haasan to work out an amicable solution

    NEW DELHI: Actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan failed to get any relief from the Madras High Court over the ban on the release of his film ‘Viswaroopam‘ in Tamil Nadu, as Justice K Venkataraman on Monday advised Haasan to work out an amicable solution with the state government.

    The High Court‘s advice followed a special screening of the film for the judge on Saturday, 26 January.

    While adjourning the case to Tuesday, Justice Venkataraman said the court had to take into account the state government‘s law and order concerns, communal amity in the state and also the actor‘s investment in the movie. “Why don‘t you negotiate the matter and settle the issue amicably?” asked the judge.

    Responding to the advice, Haasan‘s senior counsel P S Raman said, “The hero and director of the movie had returned to Chennai only this morning, and I will discuss the matter with him.”

    Raman said they had filed petitions separately challenging the district collector‘s individual prohibitory orders restraining theatres in the respective districts from screening the film.

    Justice Venkataraman said the main matter, along with the new petitions, could be heard together on Tuesday.

  • A State Govt. cannot ban a film cleared by the Censors, says Tewari even as Court extends stay on Vishwaroopam

    A State Govt. cannot ban a film cleared by the Censors, says Tewari even as Court extends stay on Vishwaroopam

    NEW DELHI: The ban on Kamal Haasan‘s Vishwaroopam by the Tamil Nadu Government may turn out to be a major issue of the powers of the state vis-?-vis the Central Board of Film Certification which functions under the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

    Even as I and B Minister Manish Tewari asked the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its decision to ban the film, the Madras High Court stayed the release of the film till 28 January with the judge saying he would see the film for himself on 26 January before a final decision.

    Tewari said, “The Supreme Court of India in Prakash Jha‘s matter (relating to Aarakshan) had the occasion of considering the various provisions of the Cinematograph Act and juxtaposing them against the law and order powers which the state government has under the Constitution.”

    “And the Supreme Court was very categorical that Article 246, seventh schedule, list one, entry sixty gives the central government the powers to certify films for exhibition and once the Central Board for Film Certification has taken a particular view, it binds all the other instrumentalities of the state.”

    “I suggest that Tamil Nadu government peruse that judgment of the Supreme Court in Prakash Jha‘s case before coming to any conclusion which may fall foul of the very clear directive which the court has given,” he said.

    Haasan had approached the Court following protests from Muslim groups asking to impose a ban on the film. The film was slated for release this Friday.

    Earlier reacting to the demand for a ban, Haasan had written in a letter: “While I am touched by the voices in support for me and my film, I am appalled at how my film is construed to be against my Muslim brothers.”

    “I have been ruthlessly used as a vehicle by small groups who seek 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,” Haasan‘s said.

  • Haasan calls ban on Vishwaroopam in TN cultural terrorism

    Haasan calls ban on Vishwaroopam in TN cultural terrorism

    Mumbai: Actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan has described the ban on his silver screen extravaganza Vishwaroopam by the Tamil Nadu government as ‘cultural terrorism‘.

    The Rs 950 million film was to release on 25 January in around 500 screens in Tamil Nadu alone. According to media reports, “district collectors have been orally instructed to pass appropriate orders and to make sure advance booking is stopped”.

    The move came in response to Muslim organisations‘ expressing fear that the “film could disturb communal harmony” after watching a show, specially screened for them, a few days ago.

    The film has had its share of controversy in the run up to its release. Earlier the debate around the movie was over Haasan‘s intention to premier launch the movie on Direct-To-Home (DTH). This was thwarted when theatre owners opposed the move reasoning that it would affect their revenues and thus the actor had to launch the film on DTH a week after theatrical release.

    The following is the text of Haasan‘s statement:

    Dear Friends,

    While I am touched by the voices in support for me and my film, I am appalled at how my film is construed to be against my Muslim brothers.

    My statements in favour of that community have marked me as a sympathizer. I have always gone beyond the call of my duty as an actor to voice my opinion in favour of what was humane and civil. I have been part of an organization called Harmony India which worked for Hindu Muslim amity.

    I am not only hurt by these accusations of denigrating a community but my sensibilities are truly insulted.

    I have been ruthlessly used as a vehicle by small groups who seek political profile. Icon bashing is a great way to be noticed when you are not one yourself. It is happenning again and again. Any neutral and patriotic Muslim will surely feel pride on seeing my film. It was designed for that purpose.

    Now I will rely on law and logic to come to our support. This kind of cultural terrorism will have to stop.

    I thank those who rose to the occasion and to my support on the Internet.

    Kamal Haasan

  • Vishwaroopam’s DTH premiere on 2 Feb, after theatrical release

    Vishwaroopam’s DTH premiere on 2 Feb, after theatrical release

    MUMBAI: After buckling under pressure from theatre owners, Kamaal Haasan‘s spy thriller Vishwaroopam is all set to premiere on direct-to-home (DTH) platforms on 2 February, almost a week after the theatrical release.

    The Hindi version of Vishwaroopam will be released on 1 February across India. The Tamil and Telugu versions of the film will be released on 25 January as announced by the actor earlier.

    "While the original DTH premiere was on a Thursday (January 10) and hence inconvenient for most, I am now releasing it on a Saturday at the end of the first week of release (January 25) which will be on February 2," Haasan said in a statement.

    The trilingual action film was earlier supposed to premiere on DTH on 10 January a day before the theatrical release on 11 January which met with fierce resistance from a section of theatre owners who saw the move as an attack on their livelihood.

    The protest by cinema owners in Tamil Nadu, who had also urged the Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa to intervene, had Haasan change his mind.

    The actor and film-maker had also moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against certain theatre associations for restricting the release of his film.

    However, Haasan did not reveal the name of DTH operators who will telecast the movie. Haasan‘s production had earlier signed a deal with all the six DTH operators to air the film.

    "I will announce the names of my DTH partners who will be involved in this endeavour soon," he said.

  • Karunanidhi defends denial of licence to Arasu

    Karunanidhi defends denial of licence to Arasu

    MUMBAI: DMK chief M Karunanidhi has come out in support of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for not giving Digital Addressable System (DAS) licence to the Tamil Nadu government-owned Arasu Cable TV Corporation.

    Karunanidhi, who had set up Arasu Cable TV Corporation during his reign as chief minister, said the UPA government was going by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India‘s (Trai) recommendation that prevents government or government-owned entities from entering the television broadcasting or distribution business.

    “The Centre can decide on issuing DAS Licence only based on the recommendations of Trai guidelines. Trai had recommended that Centre and state governments should not involve in cable TV broadcasting,” he said in an interview to party mouthpiece ‘Murasoli‘.

    He also expressed disdain at Jayalalithaa‘s accusation that the government was deliberately not issuing licence to Arasu in order to benefit his family.

    The DMK chief also said it was not proper on her part to make such remarks at the National Development Council meeting.

    Jayalalithaa had at the National Development Council (NDC) meeting recently lambasted the government for deliberately holding licence in order to a ‘political‘ family in a veiled reference to Karunanidhi and his family.

    Arasu is yet to receive a DAS licence to operate in Chennai despite repeated plea by the state government and AIADMK MP‘s, who taken the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well. Arasu had applied for a DAS licence in July.

    Karunanidhi and his family hold considerable interest in television and distribution business in Tamil Nadu. While Karunanidhi‘s family owns Kalaignar TV, his grand nephew Kalanithi Maran owns the Sun Group, which has interests in television, print, radio, DTH and cable distribution.

    Pertinently, Trai had on 28 December reiterated its November 2008 recommendation that central and state governments or entities owned by them should not be allowed to be in broadcasting and television channel distribution businesses.

    The regulator had submitted its recommendations to the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on “Issues related to entry of government or government entities into the business of broadcasting and/or distribution of TV channels”.

    It also reiterated its view that the government should provide an appropriate exit route to government or government-owned companies which have already been accorded permission to carry on the business of television channel distribution.

    The recommendations are expected to impact Arasu, which had received licence in 2007 to operate in Tamil Nadu.

  • Cinema owners threaten to boycott Kamal Haasan’s film

    Cinema owners threaten to boycott Kamal Haasan’s film

    MUMBAI: The Tamil Nadu Cinema Theatres Association has threatened that none of Kamal Haasan`s films (old or new) would be released in any theatres in the state if he goes ahead with his plan to release his upcoming spy thriller `Vishwaroopam on the DTH TV serivce, before releasing it in theatres.

    This was declared by theatre owners and their representatives across the state after a meeting to decide their future course of action in view of Haasan deciding to release Vishwaroopam on DTH on 10 January and in theatres the next day.

    Briefing reporters on the deliberations of the meeting, association general secretary, Paneerselvam said theatre owners have already asked Haasan not to release the film on DTH, which would set a precedent, leading to closure of theatres.

    The association claimed that Haasan has decided to release the film in theatres in other states, including Kerala and said it would request him not to mete out such a step-motherly treatment to theatres in Tamil Nadu.

  • Trai asked to expedite views on govt entities in cable TV after Jayalalitha letter

    Trai asked to expedite views on govt entities in cable TV after Jayalalitha letter

    MUMBAI: The Information & Broadcasting ministry has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to expedite the process of re-examining granting of Digital Addressable System (DAS) licence to a government or government-owned entity.

    The move comes in the wake of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to expedite the matter of granting DAS licence to the state government-owned cable distribution company Arasu Cable TV Corporation, which has been hanging fire for more than five months.

    "There is a larger question. I am aware of the concerns raised by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The Members of Parliament have also come and met me. That is why we have requested the TRAI chairperson to expedite their consideration… so that we can take a conclusive decision at the earliest," I&B minister Manish Tewari said.

    "We have referred the matter back to the TRAI for reconsideration as to whether the state government or the central government entities should be allowed in the broadcasting or the distribution business," Tewari added.

    Arasu, the dominant MSO in Tamil Nadu, applied for DAS licence on 5 July but is yet to get the licence as the government is mulling whether or not to grant broadcasting or the distribution licences to government-owned entities.

    The government has till date issued DAS licence to 11 MSOs in Chennai.

    While acknowledging that Arasu was granted a license in 2008, he said that there was a recommendation from Trai which doesn‘t allow state government or their instrumentalities to enter distribution or in the broadcasting business.

    Arasu has already placed orders for the supply of Set Top Boxes (STBs), Conditional Access System and Subscriber Management System and erection of Head-End at a cost of about Rs 500 million.

    Arasu, which was lying defunct under the DMK regime, was revived by AIADMK government after it stormed to power in April last year.

    It commenced cable TV services in all the 31 Districts of Tamil Nadu on 2 September, 2011 barring Chennai, which was a conditional access system area.

    Arasu Cable is providing 100 channels to the subscribers at a cost of Rs 70 per month per subscriber. It has 23,000 local cable operators in its network with a subscriber base of six million.

  • Several cases of paid news during assembly polls: Soni

    Several cases of paid news during assembly polls: Soni

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has said that the recent Assembly elections in five states had thrown up several cases of paid news.

    She said: “Special observers were appointed (by the Election Commission) to check the menace of paid news in the recent Assembly elections as well as in the elections in Tamil Nadu earlier. Some pink papers (business newspapers) have also been reported to have indulged in paid news.”

    Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, she drew attention to the large number of players in the electronic and print media, and its impact on news coverage.

    She regretted that the malaise of paid news which has grown especially since 2009, was not limited just to election time.

    “(Paid news) is something which weakens the freedom of the media, and all who argue for it,” Soni added.

  • TN cinema halls to down shutters on 23 Feb

    TN cinema halls to down shutters on 23 Feb

    MUMBAI: In a move to protest the Central government’s move to bring the cinema industry under Service Tax ambit, cinema halls in Tamil Nadu have decided not to screen films on 23 February.


    The move is in line with the film industry‘s decision to stage a nationwide protest on that day.


    “Shows in all theatres in Chennai and elsewhere in the state are being cancelled,” Tamil Nadu Cinema Theatre Owners‘ Federation President Abirami Ramanathan said in a statement.


    The Film Federation of India (FFI) has proposed the nationwide shutdown to protest the Centre‘s proposal to levy a service tax of nearly 10.3 per cent on the multi-billion industry, one of the biggest in the world.


    There are approximately 10,000 theatres in India, including 750 multiplexes.