Update 09/01/2013 10:32 PM: Kamal to announce the worldwide release date tomorrow. Theater owners met Kamal Hassan at his office and they are in a agreement and no longer opposing DTH release.

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Actor-director Kamal Haasan said on Wednesday that he is considering releasing his movie 'Vishwaroopam' on both Direct-to-home (DTH) television platform and theatres simultaneously.
"I pushed the release of the movie for my convenience and not because somebody asked me to," said the actor, in a media interaction, a day after both the DTH premiere on January 10 and theatrical release on 11 were postponed due to opposition from distributors and theatre owners.

Haasan said a few industry friends told him that it would be a good idea to release the multilingual movie on the same day on DTH and theatres. "I am thinking about it and if it is good for the industry, I will take advice of industry peers," he said. The delay will also give him and DTH partners time to respond to enquiries from people on how to watch the movie. "Many people didn't know how to book or reach out. There was not enough time before the January 10 release," he said.

Moreover, two Telugu movies and a Hindi movie are slated to release on January 11. A new release date will be announced after discussions with DTH partners and exhibitors who have come forward, he said, adding that action will be taken against those who screen the DTH telecast for big groups.

He also said legal notices were sent to 13 people for issuing false statements about the release of the movie and trying to block the release. The move to release the Rs 90-crore movie on DTH by Airtel DTH, Dish TV, Sun Direct, Tata Sky, Videocon DTH and Reliance Digital TV, eight hours before the theatrical show, was opposed by a section of distributors who felt it will lead to piracy and loss of revenue. The premier, supposed to a be a first-of-its-kind in India, offered audiences across India the option to watch the Tamil original for Rs 1,000 or catch the Hindi or Telugu version for Rs 500.

Kamal Haasan said the movie’s release had been postponed partly because theatres in Andhra Pradesh were unable to screen Vishwaroopam as they were committed to show new Telugu-language films around the same time. He said the delay was also to allow more time for DTH households to book a showing of the movie, which he has produced at a cost of Rs.95 crore.

Source 2

Actor Kamal Haasan has postponed the release of his much-anticipated trilingual film 'Vishwaroopam' to suit 'his convenience' amid a face-off with a section of theatre owners over its premiere on DTH platform, but assured he would not let down the DTH partners.

"I will decide the (new) release date of my film," he told a hurriedly convened press conference here a day before the film was to be screened on the Direct-to-Home TV platform ahead of its theatre release on January 11.

He said the new date for both the DTH and theatre release would be announced by him based on his convenience.

The actor's path-breaking initiative to release the film on DTH platform at the rate of Rs 1,000 for Tamil version and Rs 500 for the Hindi and Telugu versions ran into trouble with a section of the theater owners objecting to it and threatening not to release it in theatres.

Stating that the decision to defer the release was taken also in the interest of Tamil film industry, he said he was well within his legal and moral rights to decide on the manner of selling his product.

He had issued notices to 13 persons whom he said had been trying to block his film's release. However, he declined to elaborate.

"This is the first authoritative response from me and (his production house) Rajkamal Films. I have decided to postpone the date of release of the film for my convenience. I am selling my product well within the legal ambit and I am fully aware of the legal implications...

"This (DTH mode) is not a selfish motive meant for me but it will soon become the common path for the industry," he said.

He, however said he was "very hurt" that the industry was not forward-looking. However he said he had no regrets despite little support forthcoming.

A total of five DTH companies had signed agreement with the actor for airing an exclusive show of the film a day ahead of its release, originally slated for January 11, 2013. Kamal Hassan said some well-wishers had asked him to consider the possibility of simultaneous release of the film on screens and on Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform, but said he will factor in the suggestion if it was a 'good advice.'

Assuring that the film will be released on DTH platform as planned originally, Haasan said some issues were being worked out by DTH companies in addressing their customers' needs. Some of the DTH consumers were not aware of how to book

the lone show, he noted.

"I will not let down my DTH partners. The film will come on DTH," he said.

Citing Competition Commission of India (CCI) provisions, he indicated one had a right to be given a level-playing field and anyone found violating it will attract penalty.

He expressed confidence exhibitors would come on-board for the release of the film and added technological advancements cannot be denied to people.

The actor also denied Muslim community was depicted in a negative light in the film.

Soon after Haasan's decision to release the movie on DTH platform, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and Madurai-Ramanathapuram United Film Distributors had threatened to not release it in theatres and asked him to reconsider his decision and cancel licences given to relevant companies for airing it.

Earlier:

As the ifs and buts continues to haunt people on Vishwaroopam release and its DTH premiere, here comes an interesting piece of news. Well, the Tamil film will officially hit the screens on January 25 and it will be aired on DTH after fourth day of the theatrical release.

The buzz says that the meeting between Kamal Hassan and Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association (TNTOA) and the Confederation of Theatre Owners and Distributor's Associations have ended on a good note, as they have agreed for the DTH release. But the film will not have the DTH premiere before the release, as announced before, but it will see the light of day on January 28, fourth day after its release.

Keeping the business interests of distributors and theatres in mind, the decision was taken at the meeting. Last evening, it was said that theatre owners urged Kamal Hassan to release the film on DTH after three weeks of its theatrical release. However, with the intervention of Abirami Ramanathan and Paneerselvam, the issue was solved with the both parties agreeing for the release on January 28.

In a dramatic turn of events, Kamal Hassan's prestigious Vishwaroopam, which was supposed to release on January 11, was postponed to January 25.