'Da Vinci Code' to release in India on May 26

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) The controversial film 'The Da Vinci Code', which has been in the eye of a storm with Christian Groups demanding a ban on its release in India, will finally release on May 26, a week behind its scheduled release date of May 19.

''The film will be released on May 26 all over India,''a spokesperson of the Sony Pictures told UNI.

The film's release in India, which was scheduled on May 19 to coincide with its worldwide release, had been delayed after members of the Christian community in India had demanded that a specific disclaimer saying ''the film is a work of pure fiction and has no correspondence to historical facts of the Christian religion'' be put before the beginning of the film.

Sony Pictures had been reluctant to put the disclaimer demanded by the christian groups arguing that the film already includes a ''legal card,'' at the end of the movie.

Even as the controversy plaguing the film has delayed its release, the film has already been released in 62 countries between May 17 and 19.

The release of the film in India follows an agreement between Sony Pictures and the Censor Board.

Though details of the agreement were not available, trade sources said the agreement stipulates that the Ron Howard film, based on Dan Brown's controversial novel, will only have the already-existing ''legal card'' at the end of the film, stating ''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'' and not the disclaimer demanded by the Christian groups.

The film, starring Hollywood actor Tom Hanks as a professor who unveils a mysterious trail of symbols and clues to stumble upon an ancient secret most zealously guarded by the Roman Catholic Church for almost 2000 years, is being touted as the one of the biggest Hollywood releases in India in recent years.

Apart from the fact that the film is being released in India with a record 150 prints, 'Da Vinci Code', besides being released in English, is also being brought out in three dubbed versions - in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

The film is based on Dan Brown's novel that has sold more than 30 million copies.

Directed by Ron Howard (of 'Willow' and'The Beautiful Mind' fame) and produced by Brown Cirzer and John galley for Columbia pictures, the film also stars Audrey Tatou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jurgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany and Jean Reno.

The film opened the 59 cannes film festival in the 'Out of competition' category.

Infact, the extensive release of the film in India and the effort that has gone in its promotion is yet another indication that Hollywood is taking serious note of the huge potential that India holds as market for its films.

For example, while 15 Hollywood films had been released in India in the May-June period last year, this year the number will increase to 22 films.

UNI AR YA ND1940