The release of Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam in theatres hangs fire as a final decision on whether to premiere the film on DTH is yet to be taken. To avert any further showdown with the theatre owners and distributors’ fraternity, the actor and film maker is said to have come to the negotiation table. “He may finally yield to pressure,” said a senior industry person.
However, a final decision on this issue is likely to be taken at a proposed meeting with the theatre owners association in Chennai, late this evening.
According to sources familiar with this development, representatives of RaajKamal Films are “kind of agreeable to defer the DTH release of the film, provided the association promises to give “a large number of theatres” across Tamil Nadu to facilitate the movie’s release.
But, since most theatre owners have already signed up for two other Tamil films —
Usually, for films of top stars, plans for a movie’s release start at least a week in advance. But, it is yet to happen in the case of the multi-lingual Vishwaroopam , as Tamil Nadu film exhibitors decided not to screen the film if Kamal Haasan sticks to his plan of hitting homes first via DTH.
Even theatre owners in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Mumbai have decided not to screen the film saying it will set a precedent for other film makers and producers that can wipe out the business of cinema halls.
However, going by the advertisements in various newspapers in the last couple of days, the movie’s global release is set for January 11.
When contacted, a top-level executive of a leading DTH service provider said he had “absolutely no clue, as of now”. Even theatre owners Business Line spoke to had no clear idea about this.
ravikumar.ramanujam@thehindu.co.in