Sony Pictures against using disclaimer for ''Da Vinci Code''

Mumbai, May 19 (UNI) Sony Pictures Releasing India (SPRI) today said that use of disclaimer for the controversial film ''The Da Vinci Code'' as asked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was 'not agreeable'.

According to a press release issued by Vikramjit Roy, Manager (Publicity) of SPRI, the company received a notification from the Censor board on May 18 for the film ''The Da Vinci Code'', which was scheduled for a release on May 19 along with the rest of the world.

With SPRI stand, the film which has been delayed by a day is likely to be delayed further.

Mr Roy said the CBFC has given the film an ''A'' classification subject to the addition of a 'disclaimer' to the beginning and the end of the film stating: ''The film is a work of pure fiction and has no correspondence to historical facts of the Christian religion''.

While SPRI appreciates the Board's granting an ''A'' classification (without asking for any cuts) for the film, in light of the fact that the film already includes a legal card that states that characters and incidents are fictitious, the company does not believe that additional or modified language should be required. The legal card reads as follows: ''the characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional''.

The Board's request for new language has therefore resulted in a delay in the film's release. We hope that an agreement can be reached as soon as possible so that the people in India can see ''The Da Vinci Code'' along with audiences throughout the world.

The film which has been premiered at the Cannes Film Festival shows a famed symbologist Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) who is called to the Louvre museum one night where a curator has been murdered, leaving behind a mysterious trail of symbols and clues.

With his own survival at stake, Langdon, aided by the police cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), unveils a series of stunning secrets hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, all leading to a covert society dedicated to guarding an ancient secret that has remained hidden for 2000 years.

The pair set off on a thrilling quest through Paris, London and Scotland, collecting clues as they desperately attempt to crack the code and reveal secrets that will shake the very foundations of mankind.

The film is directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman based upon the book by Dan Brown.

UNI MR PM SB RK1948