Indian film controversy resolved

Fans of Indian movies in Gulf countries can now look forward to watching the controversial film Vishwaroopam as it is finally poised for release in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu with some cuts. It happened after the actor Kamal Hassan and Muslim groups opposed to it reached a settlement during the state-government brokered talks. The film is expected to be released in Tamil Nadu as early as Friday. “We will immediately arrange to announce the date of release after consultations, including with technical team,” the actor said. Hassan agreed to delete seven scenes from his latest spy thriller, which several Muslim groups objected to for its portrayal of Islam. The Tamil Nadu government had banned the film in the state following protests. Islamic groups have promised to call off their protests against the film and withdraw legal cases that they have filed against the filmmaker. Hassan is the producer, director and star of the film, which was released abroad and in some Indian states on Jan. 25. The film has received a tremendous response in states where it has been released and has earned favorable reviews from film critics. The film has been made in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages. It had been cleared by India’s Censor Board before the Muslim groups raised objections to some scenes prompting the Tamil Nadu government’s ban. That decision was followed by similar bans on the film in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Source: Arab News