‘Viswaroopam’ : Kamal Haasan starrer kicks up controversy ahead of release

Chennai: Just a month ahead of its release, actor Kamal Haasan`s trilingual `Viswaroopam` (Vishwaroop in Hindi) has generated controversy over the actor`s proposal to release the movie also on DTH platforms. Hassan`s move has not gone down well with theatre owners in Tamil Nadu. The tech-savvy actor`s unique idea of having just one show eight hours ahead of the movie`s scheduled release on January 11 on Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform has found few takers among theatre owners who believe the new trend could dent their business if more producers of the multi-crore Tamil cinema take a cue from him. His argument that the show proposed for a fee would actually attract more audiences to theatres has failed to cut ice among theatre owners who today sought the intervention of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in this matter. "Kamal Haasan has assured that only one show of Viswaroopam will be telecast on DTH but what if more producers follow suit and increase the number of shows on DTH in the future," President of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Federation Abirami Ramanathan told reporters here. He said the Federation had held talks with the actor where many things were discussed in relation to the controversy. He expressed doubts over Haasan`s argument that the show on DTH will act like a teaser and attract more audiences. If the movie was shown in clubs and associations like IPL matches, would people visit the theatres?, he asked. The move would affect small budget films and the association has urged the actor to reconsider his decision, Ramanathan added. He also requested the intervention of the Chief Minister to solve the ongoing issue. Meanwhile, Haasan, who was in Madurai, was not available for comment. `Viswaroopam` starring Rahul Bose, Shekar Kapoor and Andrea Jermiah, among others, is a multi-million-rupee budget film directed and produced by Haasan. PTI