Decision on screening of Da Vinci Code by tomorrow evening

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) Final decision on the screening in India of the controversial movie 'The Da Vinci Code', slated for worldwide release on May 19, will be taken by tomorrow evening.

The Film Censor Board of India will take the decision on the screening of the movie, which has enraged the Catholic world, after taking into account the views of the Christian representatives who today watched the movie with Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi here.

Announcing this to reporters, Mr Dasmunsi said his Ministry will not interfere in the matter as final decision in such cases was always taken by the Censor Board.

''Today I watched the movie with Christian representatives. They will give their views by tomorrow afternoon and that will be conveyed to the Censor Board which will most probably take a decision by the same evening or day after tomorrow,'' the Minister. The film is based on a novel which has enraged the Catholic groups as it suggests that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that some sections within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the fact.

The film is Ron Howard's adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller.

Mr Dasmunsi said in the case of films which have impact on religious, ethnic or any other social susceptibility, the government has clear guidelines which are followed by the Censor Board. So in the case of Da Vinci Code also, the Board will be guided by these guidelines and the views of the Christian experts who today watched the movie with him.

When asked about his personal views about the film, the Minister said, ''as a fiction, it is OK.'' However, it is the views of Christian experts which will matter in this case, he added. Bishop Alex Vadakumthala of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India said the Minister had done justice to the Christian Community by eliciting its view on the film.

He said, ''there were some concerns about the film as it mixed fantasy with historical facts, which it will be difficult to distinguish if the film was not viewed critically.'' However, the final decision about the acceptability of the film will be taken after a meeting of Catholic priests tomorrow morning, he said.

About 290 organisations, mostly representing catholic church in the country, had approached the minister urging him to first view the film himself and only after being satisfied allow its screening.

''Since these organisations had sent a memo to the government, it is my duty to cross check the facts before allowing the screening,'' the minister had said yesterday.

Vatican has already given a call for boycotting the movie.

Meanwhile, a press preview of the movie was held at the Cannes Film Festival, a day ahead of the world premiere of the movie, reports from the French city said.

Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou play the lead roles in the movie.

UNI