Kamal Haasan postpones Vishwaroopam launch but holds his DTH line

CHENNAI: Rumours floating online suggested on Tuesday that actor Kamal Haasan would drop his controversial move to release ' Vishwaroopam' on DTH as well as postpone its theatrical release. As of Wednesday, with Haasan addressing the media, at least one of those rumours seemed to have come true.

The South Indian star said he was postponing the launch of his magnum opus, reportedly made at a cost of Rs 95 crore, while at the same time insisting he wasn't going back on his DTH plans.

"I will announce Viswaroopam's release date. I will decide," said Haasan, answering in the negative when asked if he was pressurized into this decision.

Haasan's plan to launch his movie on the DTH platform had raised a storm, with a section of theatre owners threatening a boycott of the film. They fear DTH will eat into their business as also give rise to piracy. Haasan has been saying he signed up a sizeable number of theatres already.

ET tried to speak with industry people, including theatre owners and DTH service providers, but they weren't available for a comment immediately.
""I will give them both (DTH and theatre) equal status and come on the same day," Kamal Haasan said at a meeting at his office in Chennai.

It wasn't clear if Haasan meant that DTH and theatrical release would happen at the same time. Because, according to the original plan, the DTH release was supposed to happen the night before the theatrical release.

"I will not leave my DTH partners. Movie will come on DTH. Friends have requested that premiere should happen on same day. Will think and take a decision as this is my product," he noted.

DTH players, including Sun DTH, Dish TV, Airtel DTH, and Reliance DTH, have decided to stop taking bookings for the pay-per-view show that was to be telecast on January 10.

He has also cautioned that he would be filing cases against people who have threatened to block the movie or show it in clubs and bars. Kamal said, "I am doing a honest and legitimate trade. No one has the right to stop me from going ahead. I will take legal action on those who threaten me and who try to prevent me from doing this. Do not take my kindness for confusion.""

The DTH release was priced at Rs 1,000 in a pay per view model. When asked whether the same pricing would be followed, the actor said he would look into that and take advice of industry peers.