Vishwaroopam is a 2013 Indian Tamil spy thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Kamal Haasan who is also featured in the lead role.The film has Pooja Kumar, Rahul Bose, Andrea Jeremiah and Jaideep Ahlawat in supporting roles. Also made simultaneously in Hindi as Vishwaroop, the film featured soundtrack composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, with lyrics by Vairamuthu and Haasan himself while Javed Akhtar translated them for the Hindi version. The Tamil version was dubbed and released in Telugu.Development of the project commenced after the release of Haasan's Manmadhan Ambu (2010) when several of the crew were brought in from the United States to lend their technical expertise. The direction was taken over by Haasan from Selvaraghavan and reports indicating a comparison with several English films surfaced during the production. The first teaser was revealed in April 2012 and first theatrical trailer was revealed in June 2012. Vishwaroopam is the first Indian film, and second film worldwide after Red Tails (2012), to utilize the new Auro 3D sound technology.The film is also the first of its kind to release via direct-broadcast satellite, also known as direct-to-home (DTH), a concept which allows a one-time viewing on home entertainment systems for a fee of INR1,000 (US$18.2).An early estimate by Haasan stated the film to earn INR350 crore (US$63.7 million) from all its sources including music and distribution rights.
The film released worldwide on 25 January 2013,with premiere shows on 24 January 2013 all over the United States and Canada with English subtitles.The Hindi version Vishwaroop is due to release on 1 February 2013.The film however has yet to see an official release in the state of Tamil Nadu due to ongoing legal controversies regarding the film's content and portrayal of Islamists. The official ban in Tamil Nadu resulted in similar decisions made in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as well as Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Despite the fragmented release and controversies, Vishwaroopam garnered highly positive reviews from critics, most of which had downplayed claims of the film being anti-Islamist.
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