Kamal versus the censors

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Southern superstar Kamal Haasan's brushes with the censors never seem to end.

Now it is the turn of "Vasoolraja M.B.B.S.", the Tamil remake of Bollywood blockbuster "Munnabhai M.B.B.S.", to run into trouble.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council and the Indian Medical Association are said to be unhappy over the film's title. They have gone to the high court and got a restraint order, which stops the censor board from giving a thumbs up to "Vasoolraja..."

According to officials of these organisations, the Tamil title "Vasoolraja..." "belittles the medical profession". Vasoolraja means 'king of extortion'.

The film is ready for an August release but without a censor board okay it can be delayed indefinitely.

This is not the first time Haasan and the board have been at loggerheads.

In 2000, the board cuts portions of Haasan's acclaimed film "Hey Ram!" before release. To infuriate him further, the edited and non-edited script was leaked to the local media, providing spice for his critics.

Some political parties also objected to the name of his film "Sandiyar" and finally he had to change it to "Virumaandi", a name that has proved to be very successful at the box office.