I followed the controversy over Kamalahaasan’s Vishwaroopam with much unease. It’s incredible that the film got censor clearance in Tamil Nadu only after some forced changes and cuts, a result of threats from Muslim bodies in Tamil Nadu (The Littered Floor of the Cutting Room, Feb 18). It's also disappointing that Kam­al­ahaasan agreed to the unjustified demands made by these fundamentalists. If the film can run across India without cuts, why not in Tamil Nadu? Kamal was wrong to buckle down, he would have only risen in the esteem of his many fans worldwide if he had not done so. With all the cuts, the film’s now a failure.

V. Edakkazhiyoor, Yaduvaram, Kerala

With reference to the ‘unjustified’ cuts in his film, I just want to ask Kamal if he would have dared to make a movie portraying Tamil Hindus as LTTE supporters who assassinated Rajiv Gandhi. In fact, that would have been more relevant in the Indian context than this 9/11 nonsense.

Nawazish Khan, on e-mail

 8D 73   Ramki sir,
Let me confess first that I deligently ollow ur posts and
do appreciate your libera thinking. You  aways stood for
Independent EC,Judiciary and Press. Ok then why not creative freedom?
In Tamilnadu The 100cr invested film's TV rights was understood ha gained
by JAYA tv. But Kamalhasan adventurously tried to release the film
through DTH. The ban came that moment Delhi has nothing to do abt this.
why other states didnt ask Ban?
Creative freedom is paramount like you said abt Hollywood and Bush. Thanks 

 7D,

If a movie causes law and order problems, these eminent personalities aka friends of the ruling party @ delhi will not come and own responsiblity. The fact is there was big organized protest in TN and the CM panicked since she did not want even a 1% chance of repeat of gujarat 2002.

Which brings again to the point - India is a diverse nation, diverse in every sense. Why should one board sitting @ Delhi decide what is right and wrong? 

You are telling democratically elected govt is deciding censor board. Fine, then do we allow the govt to decide how Election Commission functions or how judges give judgements?

Just notice that in last 65 years,one dynaty has ruled us for over 50 years but why is that we have very few movies made about the dark deeds of this family/dyansty?

In US, hollywood is bold and makes movies critical of bush right when he was president . 

That is why, Censor board should operate independent of executive just like judiciary and EC. And friends of sonia madame like sharmila tagore should not be seated there. These boards are not post retirement clubs for some feudal elite.

 6 D 119 thanku Ramki for response. Censor board
members are appointed by Democratically elected Govt
and certain laid down norms are observed.  Mostly
eminent pesons from film industry are listed as members.
How can ruling party of Delhi interfere in each and everyfilm 
that sensor passes? Ramki tell me why only AIDMK ruled state
banned the release While Karnataka (BJP ruled) and Kerala did not ban??
Marxist and left parties supported KAMAL   Why? 

 VNK Murthi >>  Once censor board has cleared the film
that need be the final.

Not necessary. Censor Board is always stuffed with appointees of ruling party @ delhi and there is no need for our country's entertainment to be decided by some political dynasty.

 Once censor board has cleared the film
that need be the final. Bowing to the pressure of some group
then after and muting or cutting the film is creating
a bad precedence. Tomarrow another offnded group
may sprung up demanding deleting to a film paased by censor
jury. Art and culture need to be a medium beyond the reachof group
pressure.

The position of the Muslim groups in essence is that they will not countenance any Muslim character being portrayed as terrorist. It seems to be a tad unreasonable to me!

Males are regularly negatively stereotyped, not only by films, but the media as well, with no protest.

The difference is in this case religionists are protesting.

We all need some growing up. It appears when the colonialists came they said we were not really adults (as individuals or as a collective), we were children or at best adult-child and needed their adult supervision to civilize. Then they said they didn't want to leave us because we were still that way. Now the "powers that be" - the governing class, the priestly class still think we are as the colonialists imagined us to be. We of course promptly ensure their prophecies become real by behaving the way they imagined we would.

“By getting so sensitive about Religion, we are only Dwarfing it because earlier what used to be our strength has become a Fragile Liability which starts crumbling even by fictitious tales.”

“By getting so sensitive about Religion, we are only Dwarfing it because earlier what used to be our strength has become a Fragile Liability which starts crumbling even by fictitious tales.”

We all need some growing up. It appears when the colonialists came they said we were not really adults (as individuals or as a collective), we were children or at best adult-child and needed their adult supervision to civilize. Then they said they didn't want to leave us because we were still that way. Now the "powers that be" - the governing class, the priestly class still think we are as the colonialists imagined us to be. We of course promptly ensure their prophecies become real by behaving the way they imagined we would.

Males are regularly negatively stereotyped, not only by films, but the media as well, with no protest.

The difference is in this case religionists are protesting.

The position of the Muslim groups in essence is that they will not countenance any Muslim character being portrayed as terrorist. It seems to be a tad unreasonable to me!

 Once censor board has cleared the film
that need be the final. Bowing to the pressure of some group
then after and muting or cutting the film is creating
a bad precedence. Tomarrow another offnded group
may sprung up demanding deleting to a film paased by censor
jury. Art and culture need to be a medium beyond the reachof group
pressure.

 VNK Murthi >>  Once censor board has cleared the film
that need be the final.

Not necessary. Censor Board is always stuffed with appointees of ruling party @ delhi and there is no need for our country's entertainment to be decided by some political dynasty.

 6 D 119 thanku Ramki for response. Censor board
members are appointed by Democratically elected Govt
and certain laid down norms are observed.  Mostly
eminent pesons from film industry are listed as members.
How can ruling party of Delhi interfere in each and everyfilm 
that sensor passes? Ramki tell me why only AIDMK ruled state
banned the release While Karnataka (BJP ruled) and Kerala did not ban??
Marxist and left parties supported KAMAL   Why? 

 7D,

If a movie causes law and order problems, these eminent personalities aka friends of the ruling party @ delhi will not come and own responsiblity. The fact is there was big organized protest in TN and the CM panicked since she did not want even a 1% chance of repeat of gujarat 2002.

Which brings again to the point - India is a diverse nation, diverse in every sense. Why should one board sitting @ Delhi decide what is right and wrong? 

You are telling democratically elected govt is deciding censor board. Fine, then do we allow the govt to decide how Election Commission functions or how judges give judgements?

Just notice that in last 65 years,one dynaty has ruled us for over 50 years but why is that we have very few movies made about the dark deeds of this family/dyansty?

In US, hollywood is bold and makes movies critical of bush right when he was president . 

That is why, Censor board should operate independent of executive just like judiciary and EC. And friends of sonia madame like sharmila tagore should not be seated there. These boards are not post retirement clubs for some feudal elite.

 8D 73   Ramki sir,
Let me confess first that I deligently ollow ur posts and
do appreciate your libera thinking. You  aways stood for
Independent EC,Judiciary and Press. Ok then why not creative freedom?
In Tamilnadu The 100cr invested film's TV rights was understood ha gained
by JAYA tv. But Kamalhasan adventurously tried to release the film
through DTH. The ban came that moment Delhi has nothing to do abt this.
why other states didnt ask Ban?
Creative freedom is paramount like you said abt Hollywood and Bush. Thanks