HC stays Viswaroopam release till Jan 28, film fraternity supports Kamal Haasan

While on the one hand, the Chennai High Court has stayed the release of Kamal Haasan's magnum opusViswaroopamtill January 28, the film fraternity, including megastar Rajinikanth, has come out in his support. Even Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has also asked the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its decision to banVishwaroopam. On Kamal Haasan’s appeal to the High Court against Tamil Nadu government’s ban on the movie, the court has decided that its judges will first watch the movie on Monday and then pronounce the judgement.

Speaking on Kamal’s support, Rajinikanth has appealed to the Muslim community asking them to work out a way so as to enable the uninterrupted release of the film. In a statement, he asked the community leaders "to sit with Haasan and discuss the issue and allow its release without affecting its storyline". "Kamal is no ordinary artiste but an extraordinary one who can take Tamil cinema to new levels," Rajini added.

Other film personalities took to Twitter to share their reactions on the ban. Some of the Tweets are as follows:

Prakash Raj: Ban on 'Vishwaroopam'. Not fair. This cultural terrorism should stop. We should stand for the right to express. We are with you Kamal sir.

Anubhav Sinha: Is the Tamil Nadu government saying that they do not recognise CBFC? Or they can't handle law and order? Or they subscribe to the objection? When a government needs to ride on a movie star, you should know how intellectually and politically bankrupt they are.

Siddharth: Ban on 'Vishwaroopam' is a regressive, back to the dark ages blow to Tamil cinema by the Tamil Nadu government how do we make a change?

Madhur Bhandarkar: I am appalled by the Tamil Nadu government's decision to ban Kamal Haasan's 'Vishwaroopam'. After the film has been passed by the censor board. Not done.

Manoj Bajpayee: It is disappointing to hear that state government of Tamil Nadu banned 'Vishwaroopam' after the film is censored. That brings the importance of censor in question.