Distributor cries foul over Da Vinci ban despite disclaimer

Chennai, June 1 (UNI) Sony Pictures, which has bought the rights for controversial Hollywood movie 'The Da Vinci Code' in India, today said it was seeking legal opinion following the Tamil Nadu government's decision to ban the film, a day before advance booking was to begin for its release in the state tomorrow.

The order of the Tamil Nadu government to ban the film was issued late last night by the Home Secretary, expressing fear that the movie's screening could hurt the sentiments of the minority communities particularly Christians.

The state government, which has directed the District Collectors and the Commissioner of Police Chennai to study the situation and take action under Section 13 of the Cinematorgraph Act for suspending the screening of the film, has directed Sony Pictures, who bought the rights for the film in India, to defer the release by two months.

Both Sony Pictures representative Vikramjit and A V Mohan, the film's distributor for Tamil Nadu who bought the rights from Sony, refuted the government's contention that the film could hurt the sentments of the Christian community in the state.

Pointing out that Sony was already consulting its legal advisors to get the state government ban revoked, he said, ''the film is already a great box office success in many parts of the world, even in countries like Brazil and Italy where Catholics are the Majority.'' ''Even in Catholic-dominated Goa, the ban on the film has been lifted,'' he said, adding the movie was running successfully in 11 states in India, including Punjab.

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