MDMK, PMK demand ban on release of 'Dam 999'

Chennai: Two political parties in Tamil Nadu MDMK and PMK today demanded a ban on the release of Hollywood film 'Dam 999' in the country, saying it depicts the scenario of the collapse of century-old Mullaiperiyar Dam over which the state is locked in a row with Kerala.

MDMK leader Vaiko, in a statement, said the film, financed by Keralites, starring Indian and Hollywood actors and directed by Sohan Roy has been named 'Dam 999' referring to the legal rights held by Tamil Nadu over the Mullaiperiyar dam for 999 years.

Vaiko said he has appealed to the South Indian Film Chambers, Tamil Film Producers Council and the South Indian Artistes Association not to allow the screening of the film in Tamil Nadu.

The 3D movie is an Indo-United Arab Emirates (UAE) conceptual epic, which is an emotional thriller that speaks about a century old dam built during the British colonial reign and the lives of nine individuals who witness the destruction of the dam.
Dam999 is based on the award winning short Documentary 'DAMs - The Lethal Water Bombs'.
'DAM999', directed by mariner Sohan Roy, is all set to hit the theatres Nov 14.
Billed as the first international movie by mariners, it is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros.
It is a movie with a social cause which describes the hazards dams can cause and creates awareness among the masses about the impending dangers of a dam collapse.
To bring out the true essence of India, "DAM999" is also being released in regional languages like Tamil and Telugu.
The project, co-supported by BIZ TV Network and Aries Telecasting Pvt Ltd in the UAE, Singapore, and India respectively.
As many as 16 national and international award winners from nine different film industries, including Hollywood and Bollywood, have worked in the film.
The international crew has Eric Sherman as the project consultant, Rob Tobin as the script doctor and Uzma Xina Kang as the casting director.
The cast includes Ashish Vidyarthi, Rajit Kapur, Gary Richardson, Vinay Rai, Vimala Raman, Megha Burman, Joshua Fredric Smith, Jaala Pickering, Linda Arsenio and Jineet Rath.
Through the film the director said he wanted to convey the psychological stress every individual experiences by restricting one's feelings and desires.
This is the directing Debut of Sohan Roy , the mastermind behind Marine Biz TV - The World's first Global Maritime Television channel.
The screenplay of DAM999 is vetted by Hollywood veterans, Rob Tobin and Eric Sherman.
The movie is a revelation of various Indian age old myths and scientific facts which were and still considered superstitious.
For the first time, a movie showcases the beauty of the maritime world through the eyes of a mariner.
DAM999 is the effort of numerous national award winners and will be released very soon.
The story revolves around nine characters portraying nine variants of emotion (Navarasa) and an obsolete dam.
Each character holds a dam of emotions which eventually explodes along with the collapse of the mammoth edifice, replicating the worst man-made disaster witnessed in history.
DAM999 is a tribute to the 1975 Banqiao Dam disaster in china that claimed 250,000 innocent lives.
Like a pressure mounted dam, concealed emotions will explode at some point of time.
The director says words are not enough to convey the aftermaths of this outburst. The audience will relate to the symbolic representation of a dam across everyone's mind.
Dam999 is a story of nine characters and their emotions.

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$MDMK, PMK demand ban on \'Dam 999\'$

The dam, located in the Iddukki district of Kerala, is under the control of Tamil Nadu Government.

If cinema houses in the state screen the film, his party would organise demonstrations against it, he said.

PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss said the film was screened before the Supreme Court appointed expert committee, headed by retired judge Justice A S Anand, to back Kerala's claim that the reservoir was unsafe and needs to be replaced.

He urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take up the matter with the Centre.

The dam, located in the Iddukki district of Kerala, is under the control of Tamil Nadu Government and meets the irrigation needs of farmers in southern districts bordering Kerala.

While Kerala had proposed construction of a new dam to replace the old structure saying it posed a danager to the people living downstream, Tamil Nadu has been opposing the move.