‘Vishwaroopam’ released in Karnataka, police assures full security

Bangalore: Kamal Haasan`s controversial film ‘Vishwaroopam’ was finally released today in Karnataka after the state police gave an assurance of providing adequate security for the multi-lingual film.

” ‘Vishwaroopam’ has been released in 40 theatres across the state, including 17 in Bangalore from the matinee show today. All 17 theatres screening the film are already going housefull," sole distributor of the film in Karnataka, H D Gangaraju told reporters. He said the state police had assured it would provide security for peaceful screening of the film. "Acceding to the request of a delegation of Muslim leaders who met City Police Commissioner Jyothiprakash Mirji and appealed that a line stating `all Muslims are not terrorists` be inserted in the film, I have decided to insert the line in the credits as it cannot be inserted in the film since it is a digital production," Gangaraju said. Mirji who viewed the film on Jan 27, the day it was to be released in Karnataka, felt there was nothing objectionable in it, Gangaraju claimed. The film, facing a two week-ban in Tamil Nadu due to its alleged anti-Muslim content, hit screens worldwide on Jan 25 but its release was deferred in Karnataka following a police suggestion in view of ‘Milad-un-Nabi’ and Republic Day and later in the wake of a group clash in Bhadravathi on Jan 26 over screening of the film. PTI