Bangalore, Hyderabad : After being banned in Tamil Nadu, mega-budget thriller, Vishwaroopam, directed by Kamal Haasan who also stars in the film,  is not screening in Hyderabad or Bangalore.  Distributors in both cities said they did not want to provoke any violence.   

The movie was released in Andhra Pradesh this morning, but the distributor decided to cancel later screenings in the state capital of Hyderabad.

The film did not show at all in Bangalore. The police said its release has been “indefinitely delayed.”

The 95-crore film has been banned by the Tamil Nadu government for two weeks after some groups protested against the film’s portrayals of Muslims. The Madras High Court last evening refused to over-rule the ban and said a judge will review the movie over the weekend; a verdict could be delivered at the next hearing on Monday.

Kamal Haasan has described the ban as “cultural terrorism” and said Vishwaroopam is “the most Muslim-friendly film” he has seen.

Southern superstar Rajinikanth today appealed to Muslim groups to work with Kamal Haasan by suggesting changes that would not “affect the storyline.”   Lobbying against the ban on the film, he said,  “I have known Kamal for 40 years.  He would not hurt anyone.

NDTV