Vishwaroopam: Is it even going to be released in Hindi?

New Delhi: 'Vishwaroopam' is supposed to be released on February 1 in Hindi, but going by the latest controversy, its release doesn't seem possible even on February 6. When an emotional Kamal Haasan says, "I'll look for another country if I don't find a secular place in India," he actually wants to make a statement against the religious intolerance.

Bone of contention:

Some Muslim organisations think that the film shows the community in a poor light, and thus they decided to suggest a ban on 'Vishwaroopam'.

Actor-director Kamal Haasan's controversial film 'Vishwaroopam', facing a two-week ban in Tamil Nadu amid protests by Muslim community, was released in Kerala but its screening was stopped by police in Hyderabad over security concerns. However, this isn't the first time that a film has courted controversy in India.

Above is a still from the film Parzania, a 2007 drama co-written and directed by Rahul Dholakia and David N Donihue. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika in the lead roles. It was inspired by the true story of a Parsi boy who disappeared after the February 28, 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre. The film was banned in Gujarat.
Firaaq, a 2008 political thriller set one month after the 2002 violence in Gujarat, was banned in the state. The film went on to win two National Film Awards.
Black Friday, a 2004 film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, earned the ire of some political sections for focussing on the aftermath of the Bombay blasts in 1993. The film was banned in Gujarat.
Gangs of Wasseypur (I and II) is co-written, produced and directed by Anurag Kashyap and narrates the power struggles between three crime families. People of the Wasseypur village had staged protests at the time of the release of the film.
The song 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' from Dibakar Banerjee's 'Shanghai' sparked a row for some of its lyrics. Tejinder Bagga of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court asking for an interim stay on the release of the film till the makers deleted the "offending" song.
Aarakshan, the 2011 Prakash Jha film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone was based on caste based reservations and faced severe protests in Uttar Pradesh.
Deepa Mehta's 1999 film Earth was part of her Elements trilogy. It triggered a controversy at the time of its release.
Fire, the 1996 film directed and written by Deepa Mehta, starring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das triggered protests from people from some section of society who alleged that intimate scenes between Shabana and Nandita were obscene.
Jodhaa-Akbar, the historical drama of 2008, was directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker. It faced protests in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana.
My Name Is Khan is a 2010 film directed by Karan Johar and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead roles. Shah Rukh triggered protests after he claimed that he was detained at the Newark Airport and released after two hours because his name was Khan.
Aaja Nachle, a 2007 film starring Madhuri Dixit in her first film after six years, stirred the hornet's nest for lyrics in a song from the film.
In 2007 Tamil film Sivaji sparked a defamation and plagiarism row. Sivaji was directed by Shankar and produced by AVM Productions. Rajinikanth and Shriya Saran played the lead roles with Suman, Vivek and Raghuvaran.
'Wake Up Sid', the 2009 romantic comedy directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, angered the MNS in Mumbai opposed the use of word 'Bombay' in the movie. MNS had disrupted the screenings of the film.
Bandit Queen, a 1994 Indian film based upon the life of Phoolan Devi, was quite a controversial narration of the life and times of the feared dacoit from Chambal. It was directed by Shekhar Kapur and starred Seema Biswas as the title character.

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Vishwaroopam: Will it even release in Hindi?

The film released in United States and Canada on January 25 with English subtitles.

The film released in United States and Canada on January 25 with English subtitles. The 95 crore film also released in Karnataka on January 25 but was banned from screening after the first show. It is still to be released in Tamil Nadu as the matter is still sub-judice.

Information from available sources says that 'Vishwaroopam' is a story about a man Vishwanath (Kamal Haasan) who has a very dubious identity. A little ravelling into his past discloses that he is connected to a dreaded terrorist Omar (Rahul Bose). The story takes a turn and it becomes a cat-mouse game between the terrorist groups and authorities to diffuse a Cesium bomb which can destroy New York.

The reactions from the people who have seen the film in Karnataka suggest that terrorists use the old city of Hyderabad as a hide-out. Muslims live in large numbers in this area.

Earlier controversies:

This is not the first time when any of Kamal Haasan's films has invited controversy. When 'Hey Ram' released in 2000, some religious groups protested the content of the film. 'Hey Ram', which was India's official entry to the Oscars, depicted the assignation of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse.

At that time, protesters said that Haasan is playing with the facts but later all the objections proved to be meaningless when 'Hey Ram' evolved as a well-constructed film.

Similarly, 'Dashavataaram' (2008) was criticised by some Hindu groups because of its depiction of Saivaites and Vaishnavites and their clashes. Once again, the film proved out to be a balanced one on its release.

The irony of the matter is that today when some Muslim organisations are voicing their dissents, the groups which one opposed 'Dashavataram' are supporting Haasan.

The so called 'freedom of speech' comes into play everytime any such controversy catches fire without realising that it's the hardliners who are actually enjoying the privilege of saying anything to anyone and getting away with it.

The importance of Censor Board has become a questionable thing in itself, what's the point of having a committee if everything has to be decided on roads only. The state governments that have problems with 'Vishwaroopam' need to acknowledge the value of CBFC, and they are there to protect the value judgement of the board rather than overruling it.

The democracy has its own importance when certain groups try to make their opposition felt but how can one criticize a film just because it has shown a terrorist living in a particular area. Shouldn't an ideal government strive for giving choices than hindering the release of a problematic film?