CCI restrains KFCC from preventing Raavan

Director Mani Ratnam's much-hyped multilingual movie Raavan in Hindi, Raavanan in Tamil and Villain in Telugu has finally released with 24 prints for each version in Karnataka on Friday after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) restrained the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) from preventing any exhibitor from showing it. Earlier, Reliance Big Pictures had filed a complaint against the KFCC at Delhi High Court questioning its norms.

The Delhi High Court had referred the matter to the CCI, which passed a judgment in favour of Reliance Big Pictures on Thursday evening. In its interim order, the CCI has restrained the KFCC from taking any action directly or indirectly to prevent any exhibitor from showing the Hindi film Raavan and its Tamil version Raavanan in Karnataka.

The Mani Ratnam film has been made in three different languages i.e. Raavan in Hindi, Raavanan in Tamil and Villain in Telugu. The Big Cinemas had asked KFCC to relax its restriction policy and consider it as three different films and allow the film boss to release each version in 24 theatres i.e 72. But KFCC President Basanth Kumar Patil had insisted on allowing only 24 theatres in the state.

However, the CCI has given its interim order and scheduled next hearing on this Tuesday. Meanwhile, Basanth Kumar Patil is not happy with the judgment of the CCI. He is said to be gathering all the possible evidence to strengthen its case.