Malaysia lifts ban on Vishwaroopam

The Malaysian Home Ministry has lifted the ban on Kamal Haasan’s controversial Tamil film Vishwaroopam. The National Censorship Board and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) reportedly studied the film from the religious and security point of view before green lighting the film’s release in the country. Board chairman Datuk Raja Azahar Raja Abdul Manap said that the Department agreed that the movie can now be shown as it was satisfied with the removal of certain scenes considered sensitive after a series of meetings. In a statement, Datuk said that the Home Ministry allowed the film to be shown in cinemas nationwide following the setting up of a monitoring panel by the censorship board and Jakim. “But the approval was on condition that film distributor Lotus Five Star AV (M) abides by the decision taken by the board to remove certain scenes from the film,” Datuk observed. The film, produced by popular Tamil actor Kamal Haasan, deals with international terrorism. The film has started screening in Malaysia from yesterday.