Tamilnadu
government today banned the screening of film Dam 999 with immediate
effect following requests from various quarters. The movie is believed
to be based on disputed Mullaperiyar Dam between Tamilnadu and Kerala.
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Directed
by Sohan Roy, the film centres on a dam and how it collapses and
ravages the surrounding areas. The English film, released by Warner
Bros, is scheduled for 25 November. It has been dubbed in Tamil, Telugu,
Malayalam and Hindi.
Political parties protesting against the film in Tamilnadu alleged that the project financed by Keralites, starring Indian and Hollywood actors, has been named Dam 999 referring to the legal rights held by Tamilnadu over the dam for 999 years. On Wednesday, theatre owners decided against screening the movie. 'We have decided not to screen both the English and Tamil versions. We believe it goes against Tamilnadu's interests. We have received demands from various organisations to boycott the movie. To respect the feelings of people of Tamilnadu, we have taken this decision,' Tamilnadu Film Exhibitors' Association general secretary R Panneerselvam said. Parties including the DMK, MDMK and PMK demanded a ban on the release of the film in the country, saying it depicts the scenario of the collapse of century-old Mullaiperiyar Dam over which the State is locked in a row with Kerala. DMK president M Karunanidhi had demanded that the film's release be stopped 'keeping in mind the law and order implications'. He said Tamils and Malayalees have lived together without any problems in both the States and that the issue should not be allowed to come in the way of this peaceful co-habitation. MDMK general secretary Vaiko said he has appealed to the South Indian Film Chambers, Tamil Film Producers Council and the South Indian Artistes Association not to allow the screening of the film. |