Vishwaroopam released in UP amid mild protest

Kamal Hasan’s controversial film ‘Vishwaroopam’ was formally released in Luckow and other parts of Uttar Pradesh amid mild protests on Friday.

The Samajwadi Party government that had earlier indicated of banning the film chose to let the film be screened.

Though there was no official word, heavy police deployment was visible outside cinema halls and multiplexes screening the movie.

The Aminabad areas of Lucknow witnessed a brief protest by a few Muslim youngsters who carried anti-Vishwaroopam placards, banners and raised slogans. They demanded a “total ban” on its screening. However, no violence or untoward incident was reported from any of the movie halls.

On Thursday, Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha had declared that the government would consider a ban on the film. Confronted with queries on the issue, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told mediapersons in Allahabad, “We will take a decision only if we find something really objectionable in the movie.”

 While no one knows whether he got the time to watch the film, sources said that he did give the go-ahead following which security arrangements were beefed up at cinema halls as a precautionary measure.