The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Distributors move court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Distributors move court

Special Correspondent

Seek direction to the State to permit screening ofDa Vinci Code

CHENNAI: A fortnight after the Tamil Nadu Government suspended the screening of Da Vinci Code in theatres in the State, the film's distributors have moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State Government to permit screening of the film.

The petitions, filed by the Mumbai-based Sony Pictures Releasing India Limited and Chennai's Anuroshini Films, said the U.S. author Dan Brown's book, based on which the film had been made, was not banned anywhere in the world, including India.

Also, "globally, the film was released peacefully in 65 countries and there has been no law and order problem despite the fact that a majority of the population was Christians."

The petitioners said the film was certified by the Central Board for Film Certification under the `adults only' category on May 23 and senior representatives of the Christian community saw the film and gave their consent for releasing it.

They said a 15-second disclaimer card, stating that characters, incidents and names in the film were fictitious and any resemblance to any other person was entirely coincidental and unintentional, would be inserted both at the start and end of the film.

The film has been released in India only after duly considering and taking into account the sentiments and opinions of the Christian community, the petitioners contended.

"However, the State Government by the impugned order suspended the screening of the film for two months from June 1," they said, adding that their representation to the State Government to lift the suspension of the film had not evoked any response so far.

The petitioners have included the Home Secretary, the Chennai City Commissioner of Police, the Department of Information and Publicity and the Chennai Bench of the Central Board of Film Certification as respondents.

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