Vishwaroopam ban: I&B minister says time to revisit cinematography act

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Thursday hinted that the government may consider amending the Cinematograph Act. Tewari tweeted on Thursday, "It's time to revisit cinematography act, otherwise each state would be its own censor.

His statement assumes significance in the light of the ongoing controversy surrounding Kamal Haasan's film 'Vishwaroopam'.

Uncertainty continued to dog the release of Tamil film "Vishwaroopam" as the Madras high court on Wednesday overturned a previous order clearing its screening even as actor Kamal Haasan agreed to remove certain scenes while threatening to exile himself from Tamil Nadu.

J Jayalalithaa's Tamil Nadu government was quick to ban the screening of Haasan's new movie Vishwaroopam after certain Muslim groups thought it was religiously offensive.

The dejected but combative Haasan plans to move the Supreme Court after a division bench of the Madras high court set aside a single-judge order that allowed the film to be shown in Tamil Nadu.

"I would go to any other secular state in India, anywhere from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. I don't find it here, I am willing to settle outside in a secular country," Haasan told a crowded press conference early Wednesday.

But then came the order negating Tuesday's single-judge interim order that lifted the ban, ironically minutes after Haasan expressed willingness to edit out "offensive" scenes and reference to the Holy Quran.