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Jharkhand may not screen 'The Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

Ranchi, June 21 (IANS) Cinema halls in Jharkhand may not screen the film "The Da Vinci Code" amid fears that screening the controversial movie might spark tensions.

"I have decided not to screen it. It is risky as chances of vandalism are high in Ranchi considering the sizable population of Christians," a cinema hall owner said.

Of Jharkhand's total population of 26.9 million, more than one million are Christian (2001 Census).

Said the owner of another cinema hall: "One can never predict the mood of the public. They can go violent any time. It is a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-ruled state. If Christians protest, the issue can be exploited by Hindutva groups."

Although Christian groups have not protested against the film, they say it is potentially provocative and denigrates Christian faith.

C.R Prabhu, vice-chairperson of the All Churches Committee, had said Monday: "We will not issue any decree on the screening of the film. But we cannot say anything about the spontaneous outcry of the faithful."

Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo had earlier said: "It is up to the state government to decide on the screening. But it is provocative and hurts the sentiments of our community."

Authorities in some states have banned the movie although the Supreme Court had earlier this month rejected a plea for a ban. Since the film carried a disclaimer making it clear that it was a work of fiction, screening the film did not violate anyone's rights, the court said.
 

Supreme Court rejects plea to ban 'Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday dismissed two petitions seeking a ban on the controversial movie and book "The Da Vinci Code". 

While rejecting the plea, the court said the film carried a disclaimer making it clear that it was a work of fiction. Hence screening the film did not violate anyone's rights.

The petitions were filed by the All India Christians Welfare Association seeking a ban on the film's screening as well as the best-selling book by Dan Brown, saying both violated the fundamental rights of the community in India.

More than half a dozen states in India have already banned the screening of the film. Its release in Indian theatres was delayed following protests from Christian groups last month. The story promotes the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and started a bloodline.

India is the only country in the world where the film is being released with a disclaimer at the beginning and the end clarifying it is a work of fiction.
 

Kerela embraces 'The Da Vinci Code' with house-full signs
Indo-Asian News Service

Thiruvananthapuram, June 2 (IANS) The controversial film "The Da Vinci Code" that opened in Kerala theatres Friday drew large audiences even as the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) urged its faithful to register their protest against the movie.

"Yesterday there was a premiere of the film and the two shows today have been full houses. And for the coming days till Sunday all balcony seats are reserved. With the controversy brewing, we feel the crowds should come in," said the manager of a movie house where the film is being screened. 

Last week, KCBC president Cyril Mar Baselios Catholicos asked its faithful to openly express their protest against the novel and the film through the mass media and other means, but not to resort to violent methods. 

He said both the film and the novel are malicious that insulted the Christian faith and were made to mint money. 

The film has been released in 10 cinema halls across the state and what is significant is that it has not been released in central Kerala where a majority of the state's Christians live. 

Instead it has been released at two centres in the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district at Tirur and Perinthalmanna. 

Christians constitute 23 percent of Kerela's population.

Last week, the Kerala High Court declined to prohibit the screening of "The Da Vinci Code" in the state after a petition was rejected seeking a ban on the film.

George Onakoor, a veteran Malayalam professor, said he is not going to compare the Bible with the film. 

"I see it as a good piece of work and since I don't want to compare it with the Bible, it is a non-issue," said Onakoor after seeing the premiere of the film. 
 

Meghalaya bans 'The Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

Shillong, June 1 (IANS) Christian-majority state Meghalaya Thursday banned the screening of controversial film "The Da Vinci Code".

"We have decided to ban the screening of the film with immediate effect, both in cinemas and private viewing, to maintain calm and tranquillity in the state," state home minister H.D.R Lyngdoh here announced.

The decision was taken by a screening committee of the General Administration Department (GAD), which was asked by the Meghalaya cabinet to examine the issue after the church and political parties demanded a ban on the film.

Meghalaya is the second northeastern state, after Nagaland, to ban the film.

"The film portrays the Christian faith in bad taste, and is nothing but blasphemous in nature," a Meghalaya Presbyterian Church leader said.

Nagaland banned not just the film, but also the sale, distribution and reading of Dan Brown's book, on which the movie is based.

"The book is blasphemous...It has portrayed Christ and the Christian faith in a highly objectionable manner," Nagaland Education Minister Imkong Imchen said.

The ban comes despite the film being cleared for viewing throughout India. 

The film was permitted for adult viewing without any cuts with a disclaimer in the beginning and end saying it is factious. The film was released in India last Friday.
  

'The Da Vinci Code' banned in more states  (ROUNDUP)
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) In less than a week after the delayed release of "The Da Vinci Code" in India, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Pondicherry Thursday joined Goa, Nagaland, Punjab and Tamil Nadu in banning the controversial film.

The states of Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh and Union Territory of Pondicherry announced the ban on the film Thursday, while Tamil Nadu decided to ban it Wednesday. Punjab and Nagaland had decided to do so May 25 and May 24, respectively.

The Goa government was the first to ban the film after passing a resolution May 16. 

The film, produced by Columbia Pictures, is based on Dan Brown's bestseller of the same name published in 2002 that suggests Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and even fathered a child from her. 

"After taking into consideration the reports from various government agencies and complaints from minority communities, particularly Christians, regarding 'The Da Vinci Code', the government has come to the conclusion that the exhibition of the film is likely to cause breach of peace and hurt religious sentiments of the minorities. Hence, the government decided to suspend the screening of the movie," an Andhra Pradesh government release said.

Various Christian groups and prominent individuals, including nominated legislator Christine Lazarus and chairperson of the state women's commission Mary Ravindernath, had made representations to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a Christian, against the film.

Christian-majority state Meghalaya also banned the film. 

"We have decided to ban the screening of the film with immediate effect, both in cinemas and private viewing, to maintain calm and tranquillity in the state," Meghalaya Home Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh announced in Shillong.

Meghalaya was the second northeastern state, after Nagaland, to ban the film.

"The film portrays the Christian faith in bad taste, and is nothing but blasphemous in nature," a Meghalaya Presbyterian Church leader said.

Nagaland banned not just the film, but also the sale, distribution and reading of Brown's book, on which the movie is based.

"The book is blasphemous... It has portrayed Christ and the Christian faith in a highly objectionable manner," Nagaland Education Minister Imkong Imchen had said.

The ban comes despite the film being cleared for viewing throughout the country. 

India's film censor board had passed the film May 18 without any cuts with a disclaimer in the beginning and the end saying it is was fiction. 

The film was released in India last Friday, a week after its worldwide release, as the government considered representations it had received from various groups against it.

Though the film had been cleared by the censor board, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Rajan Dasmunsi watched the film along with representatives of Christian organisations before giving the green signal.
 

Andhra Pradesh bans 'The Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

Hyderabad, June 1 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Thursday banned the screening of controversial film "The Da Vinci Code", which was due for release Friday.

"After taking into consideration the reports from various government agencies and complaints from minority communities, particularly Christians, regarding The Da Vinci Code, the government has come to the conclusion that the exhibition of the film is likely to cause breach of peace and hurt religious sentiments of the minorities. Hence the government decided to suspend the screening of the movie," a government release said Thursday.

Various Christian groups and prominent individuals, including nominated legislator Christine Lazarus and chairperson of the state women's commission Mary Ravindernath, had made representations to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a Christian, against the film.

Muslim political party Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) had also urged the government to ban the movie.

Christian groups have hailed the ban. "It is a welcome move. Any film offending religious sentiments of any community should not be allowed to be screened," president of the Dalit Christian Forum Albert said.

Christians account for about two percent of Andhra Pradesh's 76-million population.

They are in sizeable numbers in Secunderabad, a twin city of the state capital, where the film was to be screened in about a dozen theatres.
 
Mixed response to 'The Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) After days of will it, won't it, "The Da Vinci Code" finally opened here Friday but to a mixed response, with some cinemas reporting a phenomenal response while others saying it was getting off to a slow start. 

While tickets were there for the asking in the MMX cineplex in Noida on the outskirts of the city, in south Delhi's PVR Saket, for instance, you can't get to see the movie till Monday - except for the eager beaver moviegoer who queued up outside the window first thing in the morning.

Sourav Verma, vice president of PVR cinemas that runs a chain of multiplexes across the city as well as in Gurgaon and Noida, said the response was overwhelming.

"We opened out booking counter Thursday evening and the response is phenomenal. People are going for advance booking even for the next two days," Verma told IANS.

It was a different story across town.

"We sold only 18 tickets for our first show of the day and there are not many advance bookings. The hall has a seating capacity of 269," said a ticket seller at MMX theatre, Noida. 

"We are not sure about the future of the film. Something can only be said after a week," he added about the Tom Hanks starrer based on the bestseller by Dan Brown.

Officials in west Delhi's Fun Cinema said response to the movie was "not that great" with just over 20 percent booking for the first show.

"In a 312 capacity hall, only 64 tickets have been sold for the first show. We are running five shows a day of 'The Da Vinci Code' and hope that it will attract more audience in the next shows," said Shailendra, deputy manager at Fun cinema's box office.

Shipra Jam multiplex in the satellite town of Ghaziabad had recorded 40 percent sales. 

"We have sold 40 percent of our capacity for the first show and tickets are available for our next shows," said Sunil Anand, marketing head of the multiplex. 

The film, which promotes the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and started a bloodline, evoked a furore amongst a section of Christian leaders who demanded that it be banned. 

Following this, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had put its release on hold, even though the Censor Board had cleared it. It was earlier scheduled for release May 19.

India is the only country in the world where the film is being released with a disclaimer at the beginning and at the end. 

The Ron Howard movie has opened to a worldwide weekend box office taking of $224 million, making it the second biggest worldwide opening for any film, a statement from the distributors Sony said. 

"Star Wars Episode III" opened to $253 million globally one year ago. "The Da Vinci Code" opened on 12,000 screens internationally, the statement said.
 

'The Da Vinci Code' set for Friday release
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The eagerly awaited film "The Da Vinci Code" is set for a Friday release in India with its original disclaimer that it was a work of fiction and not based on fact.

The Indian Censor Board, which has certified the film as "Adults only", had suggested changes in the text of the disclaimer carried at the beginning of the film but distributor Sony Pictures did not agree to this.

Sony then entered into talks with the government on this issue and it was agreed that the original disclaimer would be retained, trade sources said.

The film has been criticised by some Christian groups, who objected to the suggestion that Jesus Christ was married with Mary Magdalene.

Following this, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had put its release on hold, even though the Censor Board had cleared it. It was earlier scheduled for release May 19.

Dasmunsi then threw the ball back in the Censor Board court, which suggested a modified disclaimer.

Meanwhile, "The Da Vinci Code" has opened to a worldwide weekend box office taking of $224 million, making it the second biggest worldwide opening for any film, a Sony statement said. 

"Star Wars Episode III" opened to $253 million globally one year ago. 

"The Da Vinci Code" opened on 12,000 screens internationally, the statement said.
 

'The Da Vinci code' sequel may come soon
Indo-Asian News Service

London, May 24 (IANS) Studio executives are so happy with the performance of "The Da Vinci Code" at the box office that they are very keen to sign Tom Hanks and Ron Howard for the sequel.

According to contactmusic.com, author Dan Brown's first thriller "Angels and Demons" is now in the running to be made into a movie. The film's screenwriter Akiva Goldsmith has confirmed that he will adapt the book for the big screen. 

"The Da Vinci Code" was Brown's second book featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. The book "Angels and Demons", published in 2000, introduces the character and has Langdon trying to solve a murder and uncover a plot by an ancient group called The Illuminati, who plans to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave. 
 

Italian expert on Da Vinci not amused by film
Xinhua

Beijing, May 20 (Xinhua) An Italian expert on Leonardo Da Vinci has revealed his dislike for the new Hollywood blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code".

"I've read the novel and to be frank, I don't like it, because much of the storyline is untrue," Paolo Galluzzi, curator of the Science and Technology Museum of Florence, told Xinhua.

"Many readers are deeply fascinated by the Da Vinci created by the novel, but I have to remind them that it is not the Da Vinci from scientific history," he said.

Galluzzi is in Beijing to attend a two-month-long technology exhibition that opened Saturday and aims to showcase a totally different Leonardo Da Vinci - not a world famous painter, but a scientist and an inventor.

The exhibition, held in the Beijing Museum of Natural History, has 59 exhibits and copies of manuscripts. It introduces the scientific attainments by Italy and Da Vinci 500 years ago to the Chinese people.

"Literature and film can make up stories, but this exhibition we hold in Beijing must be based on facts to show the public the true face of a scientist of precision," Galluzzi said.

"The Da Vinci Code," the film adapted from Dan Brown's best-selling novel, made its world debut in Beijing Wednesday evening.

--Xinhua
 
Indo-Asian News Service

 
Muslim parties ask Christians to protest 'Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

Islamabad, May 20 (IANS) Conservative Muslim political parties like Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have urged Christian leaders in Pakistan to protest the release of "The Da Vinci Code".

The MMA and JI have appealed to the Christian community to participate in a protest demonstration, PPI news agency said.

After the publication of 'blasphemous' sketches of Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper, which caused worldwide protests, the release of the movie was a conspiracy against religions, they said.

The MMA and JI planned a protest demonstration at the Karachi Press Club against "The Da Vinci Code", a film that has sparked a furore among Christians in parts of the world, the Dawn newspaper said.

A delegation of MMA and JI leaders, led by Muslim Pervez, Friday visited various churches in Karachi and met priests to garner support for the move to protest the worldwide release of the film.

The delegation said the film was sacrilegious and termed it an attack on faiths by the West and an attempt to fuel a clash of civilisations. 
 
No need for 'Da Vinci Code' disclaimer: Sony (LEAD)
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Distributor Sony Pictures Friday brushed off the need for a disclaimer even after the Censor Board cleared "The Da Vinci Code" release on conditions of an "A" certificate and a tag saying it was a work of fiction.

Vikramjit Roy, spokesperson of the movie's Indian distributor Sony Pictures, said the film already included a legal card stating that the characters and incidents in it are fictitious. 

"We are in dialogue with the Censor Board," Roy told IANS.
The legal card says that 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 Censor Board, which Thursday cleared the film without any cuts, had directed that a disclaimer be added to the film stating that it was a work of fiction.

However, despite the delay, trade experts forecast good innings for the film when it is finally released.

"The film is going to be a blockbuster," claimed Saurab Varma, vice president (marketing) of PVR Cinemas.

"It might have got delayed, but it will make up for the loss. The pre-release publicity has attracted the attention of even those who weren't associated with the film," he said.

The PVR has tried to perk up disappointed movie buffs with the comedy "Yours, Mine & Ours" starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo.

Varma is, however, hopeful that the film will be released next week.

"We have not charted out the next week's movies but hopefully 'The Da Vinci Code' will be released next week," he added.

The film, which is a screen adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller, stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.
 
'Da Vinci Code' forecast a hit
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Despite a delay in the release of "The Da Vinci Code" in India, distributors here are upbeat about the movie's box-office fate.

Sony Pictures Releasing India, which appreciates the Censor Board's granting of an "A" certificate to the film without asking for any cuts, does not believe that additional or modified language is required.

"We are in dialogue with the board," Sony Pictures spokesperson Vikramjit Roy told IANS.

Refusing to disclose the film's new release date, Roy said the film already includes a legal card stating that the characters and incidents in it are fictitious. 

However, trade experts forecast good innings for the film.

"The film is going to be a blockbuster," claimed Saurab Varma, vice president (marketing) of PVR Cinemas.

"It might have got delayed, but it will make up for the loss. The pre-release publicity has attracted the attention of even those who weren't associated with the film," he said.

The PVR has tried to perk up disappointed movie buffs with the comedy "Yours, Mine & Ours" starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo.

Varma is, however, hopeful that the film will be released next week.

"We have not charted out the next week's movies but hopefully 'The Da Vinci Code' will be released next week," he added.

The film, which is a screen adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller, stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.
 
Out of bitter lemon, we shall make lemonade: Opus Dei (LEAD)
By Harish C. Menon, From Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, May 19 (IANS) While controversy rages over the release of "The Da Vinci Code", Opus Dei, the conservative Catholic movement shown as a shadowy cult in the movie that also has operations in India, sees it as a chance to clear the air about its work and identity.

The Catholic congregation, a relatively new entrant to India with operations restricted to New Delhi and Mumbai, is hoping the controversy will generate interest in the "real background" of Opus Dei.

"Out of a bitter lemon, we shall make lemonade. This is an opportunity for us to tell people who exactly we are," Mariano Iturbe, the director of Opus Dei's Mumbai branch, told IANS.

The group is portrayed as a secretive and ruthless Christian cult in the movie, based on the bestselling book by Dan Brown.

Spanish priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer founded the group, which has around 86,000 members, in 1928. It has been operating in India - first out of two centres in New Delhi and later out of two more in Mumbai - since 1993. 

In an odd coincidence, the film's release comes on the 14th anniversary of the beatification of Opus Dei's founder. 

The movie's release, although cleared Thursday by the Indian government, had come under a cloud in the past fortnight following demands from a section of a vocal Catholic community to ban it or at least issue a disclaimer before its screening.

The book espouses the theory that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children and that the bloodline survives to date. It puts the church and Opus Dei, which in Latin literally means "work of god", at the centre of a conspiracy supposedly to cover up the secret. 

"We (Opus Dei) work towards enabling people to inculcate Christianity in their everyday aspects. We show people how to put all the pieces of their lives - faith, work, family life - together," said the Argentinean Iturbe.

"Be it a housewife, a worker, a taxi driver or a teenager - his or her main activity is not prayer. We try to help them maintain their link with god even as they drown in mundane activities," he added.

"The idea is to reinforce the Christian identity of the layman. Unlike other Catholic groups, which have specialised fields of service like education and healthcare, we do not specialise in any area." 

Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday promoted an Opus Dei bishop in Argentina - yet another indication of the favour that Opus enjoys at the Vatican. 

According to a circular issued Wednesday by the Opus Dei headquarters in Rome, the book and the movie portray the group's members as monks though there are none in real life.

"They portray us as people who practise grotesque corporal mortification. Although the Catholic Church does advise its adherents such practices, neither is this an exclusive trait of Opus Dei, nor is it performed in the extreme manner as the book describes," Iturbe clarified.

The Spanish teacher, who is also a theology and research scholar, denied that Opus Dei was a cult or a sect as Dan Brown writes. Rather, the group is a fully integrated part of the Catholic institution.

"Although we are naturally hurt as our family and family members are being debased by the book as well as the movie, we are ready to abide by whatever decision the church takes regarding the release of the movie." 

 

Another 'Da Vinci Code' controversy
DPA

London, May 19 (DPA) A fresh legal battle over Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" is being fought at the High Court in London where the world's two biggest music companies are in dispute over recordings relating to the film.

Universal Music Thursday applied for a High Court injunction to ban Sony BMG Music Entertainment from distributing in Britain a CD called "Music Inspired by Da Vinci".

Lawyers for Universal complained that Sony was trying to "pass off" the album as the official soundtrack of the film, due for general release Friday after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Both companies released Da Vinci-related recordings in Britain on May 15.

Universal, which expects to sell about 400,000 copies of the official soundtrack music, alleges Sony is using imagery connected to the book and film to deceive buyers.

Sony denies acting illegally and insists it has simply seized a marketing opportunity.

It contends Universal's rights are limited to the film's official soundtrack and do not extend to associated promotional material or the general religious themes and imagery explored in "The Da Vinci Code".

A decision by a High Court judge on a temporary injunction against Sony is expected soon.

Last month, Dan Brown and his publishers were cleared of allegations that he plagiarised his ideas from an earlier work, "The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail", by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.

--DPA

Indo-Asian News Service

Christian sect hopes to gain from 'Da Vinci Code'
By Harish C. Menon, From Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, May 19 (IANS) While a global controversy rages over the release of "The Da Vinci Code", a little known Christian group, Opus Dei, allegedly shown in a poor light in the movie sees it as a chance to clear the air about its real identity.

The Catholic congregation, a relatively new entrant to India with operations restricted to New Delhi and Mumbai, is hoping the controversy will generate interest in the "real background" of Opus Dei.

"Out of a bitter lemon, we shall make lemonade. This is an opportunity for us to tell people who exactly we are," Mariano Iturbe, the director of Opus Dei's Mumbai branch, told IANS.

The group is allegedly portrayed as a grotesque conservative Christian cult in the movie, which is based on a best-selling book by Dan Brown.

Spanish priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer founded the group, which has around 86,000 members, in 1928. It has been operating in India - first out of two centres in New Delhi and later out of two more in Mumbai - since 1993.

In an odd coincidence, the film's release comes on the 14th anniversary of the beatification of Opus Dei's founder. 

The movie's release, although cleared Thursday by the central government, had come under a cloud in the past fortnight following demands from a section of the Catholic community to ban it or at least issue a disclaimer before its screening.

The book espouses the theory that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children and that the bloodline survives to date. It puts the church and Opus Dei, which in Latin literally means "work of god", at the centre of a conspiracy supposedly to cover up the secret. 

"We (Opus Dei) work towards enabling people to inculcate Christianity in their everyday aspects. We show people how to put all the pieces of their lives - faith, work, family life - together," said the Argentinean Iturbe.

"Be it a housewife, a worker, a taxi driver or a teenager - his or her main activity is not prayer. We try to help them maintain their link with god even as they drown in mundane activities," he added.

"The idea is to reinforce the Christian identity of the layman. Unlike other Catholic groups, which have specialised fields of service like education and healthcare, we do not specialise in any area." 

Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday promoted an Opus Dei bishop in Argentina - yet another indication of the favour that Opus enjoys at the Vatican. 

According to a circular issued Wednesday by the Opus Dei headquarters in Rome, the book and the movie portray the group's members as monks though there are none in real life.

"They portray us as people who practise grotesque corporal mortification. Although the Catholic Church does advise its adherents such practices, neither is this an exclusive trait of Opus Dei, nor is it performed in the extreme manner as the book describes," Iturbe clarified.

The Spanish teacher, who is also a theology and research scholar, denied that Opus Dei was a cult or a sect as Dan Brown writes. Rather, the group is a fully integrated part of the Catholic institution.

"Although we are naturally hurt as our family and family members are being debased by the book as well as movie, we are ready to abide by whatever decision the church takes regarding the release of the movie." 
  

'The Da Vinci Code' India release in trouble
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The Indian government Tuesday put on hold the Friday release of "The Da Vinci Code" following representations from Christian groups that it offended their faith.

"I have received representations from many organisations against the film. We will watch the film Wednesday and then decide," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Rajan Dasmunsi told reporters here.

The minister's statement came a day after the country's censor board cleared the release of the move, albeit with an "Adults Only" rating.

Dasmunsi said he would examine whether the controversial film hurts the sensitivity of Christians in the country.

The government of Goa, meanwhile, passed a resolution seeking a ban on the film. 

"I have written to the censor board to stop the screening of the film," said Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane after a cabinet meeting in Panaji Tuesday.

The film, produced by Columbia Pictures, is based on Dan Brown's bestseller published in 2002 that suggests Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and even fathered a child from her.
 

'The Da Vinci Code' brings snap, crackle, pop culture to Cannes
DPA

Cannes, May 16 (DPA) The 2006 Cannes International Film Festival will open Wednesday in a blaze of Hollywood hoopla with the world premiere of one of the most eagerly awaited films in many years, "The Da Vinci Code".

With a budget of more than $125 million, a tense controversy that is producing priceless publicity and a potential audience of more than 40 million - the estimated number of copies Dan Brown's book has sold around the world - "The Da Vinci Code" will turn the festival into the centre of global pop culture for at least 24 hours.

The publicity feast begins Tuesday when the film's director Ron Howard and its stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou arrive in Cannes on a specially designed high-speed Eurostar train from London.

It continues through Wednesday evening when a screening of "The Da Vinci Code" officially opens the 59th edition of the Cannes festival.

Trade professionals believe "The Da Vinci Code" could become the biggest-grossing film of all time, eventually surpassing the current champ, "Titanic", which took in about $1.85 billion at world box offices.

Because of the book's immense popularity and the free publicity generated by Christian leaders around the world denouncing it as perverse and anti-Christian, the film does not necessarily need the festival to enhance its box office appeal.

But the image of Howard, Hanks, Tautou and the other stars mounting the legendary red-carpeted stairway of the Palace of Festivals is sure to provide an elegant and formal curtain raiser for the movie's openings around the world.

The moneyed glitz and publicity the movie will generate can only benefit the festival and the 20 films from 13 countries competing for the coveted Palme d'Or for best film.

While Cannes has long been the most prestigious festival of its kind in the world, the public has generally viewed it as an elitist affair intended for intellectuals, film connoisseurs and little-known directors making films short on entertainment and long on dialogue.

Since artistic director Thierry Fremaux took over film selection for the festival in late 2000, there has been a distinct tendency to make Cannes more open to popular tastes and to create an event which honours both well-made commercial and "art-house" films.

In that regard, the films being shown in the festival will no doubt profit from some collateral exposure from the publicity blast sparked by "The Da Vinci Code".

This will bring unexpected attention to young and relatively little-known directors, such as 31-year-old American Richard Kelly or Britain's Andrea Arnold, who will be competing for the Palme d'Or against such established film makers as Ken Loach, Pedro Almodovar and Aki Kaurismaki.

Even the religious groups complaining that the film (and the book) blasphemes Christianity and the Bible are benefiting from the "Da Vinci Code effect".

The Catholic group Opus Dei, which is depicted as villainous in the film, admitted that the controversy has fuelled interest in it, and now boasts an astonishing three million visits a month to its website.

--DPA

Indo-Asian News Service

Vatican's cardinal denounces 'Da Vinci Code' movie
Xinhua

Paris, May 15 (Xinhua) Two days before 'Da Vinci Code' movie debuts at the Cannes Film Festival Wednesday, the Vatican has leapt into the sea of media hype surrounding the film in an attempt to fight "religious ignorance".

Cardinal Paul Poupard, the Vatican's highest authority on cultural issues after the Pope, Monday told French radio Europe 1 that he did not object to people seeing the film if they understand it as fiction, but he feared many would watch this "nonsense" and think it was true.

"This is a shocking and worrying cultural phenomenon that reflects, on the one hand, the ignorance of millions of people, and on the other, the voluptuous pleasure the media take in promoting products that have nothing to do with the truth," he said.

Although the French-born cardinal did not back some Vatican cardinals' call to boycott the film, he worried about the consequences of the film on Catholics.

"What I'm concerned about is that decent people who do not have the proper religious education will take this nonsense for the real thing," said Poupard.

According to a recent poll published in French Christian weekly La Famille Chretienne, about one-third of the respondents believe the story written by Dan Brown. Up to 50 million copies of the book have been sold around the world.

Cardinal Georges Cottier, theologian of the Pope, qualified the book as "dangerous for the most credulous" in an interview published by French newspaper Le Figaro in its Monday edition.

--Xinhua

Indo-Asian News Service
 

Gibson slams 'Da Vinci Code'
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, May 22 (IANS) Catholic actor Mel Gibson has slammed "The Da Vinci Code" book and movie saying they attack beliefs that he holds sacred.

According to hollywood.com, Gibson is angry with the thriller's plot which includes Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene. 

He says: "What worries me is that people will take this as fact. I am not angry per se that it refutes everything I hold sacred, the foundations of my beliefs. 'The Da Vinci Code' is an admitted work of fiction but it cleverly weaves fact into maverick theories in a way that will appear plausible to some."

Ironically, Gibson was the first choice of Robert Lomas, an intellectual who inspired the character of Robert Langdon, to play Langdon in the movie and not Tom Hanks. 

Lomas says: "In an ideal world I'd quite like to have been played by Mel Gibson."

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