The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Thursday defended its ban on a new film by veteran actor Kamal Haasan, which has renewed fears over freedom of artistic expression in the country.
Spy thriller "Vishwaroopam" was forced out of cinemas after Muslim groups complained that they were portrayed in a negative light, leading Haasan -- who directed and co-produced the film -- to threaten to go into exile.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram said her government was forced to impose the 15-day ban to prevent unrest across the state, because there was "every apprehension" that protests outside cinemas would turn violent.
"When you know that there's going to be violence in a certain situation, in a certain place, it's the duty of the government to do whatever is possible to prevent that happening," the former actress told reporters in Chennai.
She said the state did not have enough police to maintain law and order outside more than 500 cinemas that were due to show the movie.
Haasan, who is due in Mumbai on Friday for the film's release there, has reportedly agreed to modify his movie to appease the protesting groups.
"If the leaders of the Muslim organisations and Mr Kamal Haasan can sit together and work out an amicable agreement, the government of Tamil Nadu will do everything possible to facilitate that," Jayaram said.
The ban comes in the same week that British author Salman Rushdie also faced the wrath of Muslim groups, forcing him to cancel a trip to the eastern city of Kolkata to promote the film "Midnight's Children".
Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" is seen as blasphemous by some Muslims, was also forced out of India's biggest literature festival last year after apparent threats to his life.
The latest controversies have sparked a fresh round of concern over free speech in India.
Author Manu Joseph wrote on Thursday that the country "is a paradise for those who take offence because the first reaction of the state is to appease those who claim to have been offended".
An editorial in the Mid Day tabloid, decrying a "herd mentality", said that "more and more people are joining in to stifle any kind of expression perceived as offensive" without even seeing the film or reading the book in question.
Indian film stars have rallied around Haasan since the ban on his film, which has already passed the country's censorship board.
"Go stand outside the cinema hall (and) insist on seeing the film," Bollywood megastar Salman Khan told his huge following on Twitter on Thursday.
Another leading actor, Shah Rukh Khan, said it was "the most unfortunate thing to happen to a film".
India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tiwari told NDTV that each case was different, but state governments "need to lean in favour of freedom of speech and expression" even amid law and order fears.
AFP
Thu Jan 31 2013
Microsoft labur AS1.7b di Indonesia untuk teknologi awan dan AI
Microsoft bakal melabur AS$1.7 bilion dalam tempoh empat tahun akan datang bagi pembangunan infrastruktur awan dan kecerdasan buatan di Indonesia, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Satya Nadella
Nadella sebagai berkata, pelaburan itu merupakan yang terbesar dalam sejarah 29 tahun Microsoft di negara itu.
Nadella sebagai berkata, pelaburan itu merupakan yang terbesar dalam sejarah 29 tahun Microsoft di negara itu.
Haiwan turut berisiko hadapi 'strok haba'
Gelombang haba yang melanda seluruh dunia memperlihatkan kesan jelas terhadap alam serta hidupan di muka bumi ini. Di Bangladesh misalnya, pengusaha-pengusaha kedai haiwan mencuba sedaya upaya untuk memastikan haiwan peliharaan di kedai mereka tidak mati dalam cuaca ekstrem ini.
Malaysia tewas 2-3 kepada Denmark pada aksi akhir kumpulan D
Malaysia dan Denmark masing-masing sudah pun melayakkan diri ke suku akhir selepas mencatat kemenangan 5-0 ke atas Hong Kong dan Algeria.
Fungsi JAKIM, Kementerian Perpaduan Negara berbeza - mohd na'im
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar menegaskan fungsi Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) adalah berbeza dengan Kementerian Perpaduan Negara (KPN).
Sultan Nazrin dilantik pengerusi bagi tempoh dua tahun
Sultan Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah dilantik sebagai Pengerusi Majlis Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Malaysia (MKI) bagi tempoh dua tahun berkuat kuasa 9 Mac 2024 hingga 8 Mac 2026.
JKN Terengganu siasat dakwaan kes keracunan makanan
Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Terengganu sedang menyiasat dakwaan kes keracunan makanan selepas dipercayai menjamah sejenis kuih membabitkan beberapa individu termasuk kanak-kanak.
Remaja warga asing samun, menyamar pegawai polis ditahan
Polis menahan remaja lelaki pemegang kad Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR) kerana disyaki terbabit dengan kegiatan samun dan menyamar sebagai anggota polis.
Pesawah mengaku tidak bersalah
Seorang pesawah mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Butterworth atas pertuduhan memuat naik mesej berbau hasutan mengaitkan Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim dengan aktiviti perjudian dalam satu kumpulan WhatsApp, lima hari lalu.
Terengganu tidak bincang cadangan hukuman sebat di khalayak - Azalina
Tiada sebarang perbincangan di antara Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu dan Kerajaan Persekutuan tentang cadangan pelaksanaan hukuman sebat bagi kesalahan syariah di khalayak atau tempat awam.
90 kes direkod di Kelantan dalam tempoh empat bulan
Polis Kelantan merekodkan 90 kes jenayah seksual di negeri itu dalam tempoh empat bulan pertama tahun ini.
Anwar Ibrahim 'lepak' dengan superstar India, Kamal Haasan
Aktor berkenaan dilaporkan berada di Kuala Lumpur bagi mempromosikan filem aksi, Vikram.
Kamal Haasan positif COVID-19
Pelakon berusia 67 tahun itu baru-baru ini ke AS untuk melancarkan jenama fesyennya, House of Khaddar.
Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan penuh bergaya di Malaysia
Kedua-dua pelakon yang turut memiliki jutaan peminat di Malaysia, hadir dengan helikopter untuk pelancaran dana itu.
Ribuan peminat Kollywood banjiri Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil
Ribuan peminat industri hiburan Kollywood di Malaysia membanjiri Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil di sini hari ini bagi menyaksikan Festival Natchathira Vizha 2018 yang menampilkan lebih 300 artis India S
Tiket bertemu Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan dijual mulai esok
Tiket ke program Natchathira Vizha 2018, sebuah pesta hiburan melibatkan 250 bintang filem India termasuk Rajinikanth dan Kamal Haasan yang akan berlangsung di Stadium Bukit Jalil di sini pada 6 Jan d
Status penayangan Viswaroopam akan diketahui minggu ini
Filem lakonan Kamal Haasan Viswaroopam telah menggamit kontroversi apabila penayangannya telah ditarikbalik oleh Lembaga Penapisan Filem (LPF).