Vijay’s Beast Banned in Kuwait
The highly anticipated film Beast, starring Tamil actor Vijay and set for a worldwide release on April 23, has been banned in Kuwait.
According to trade expert Ramesh Bala, the film has been prohibited in Kuwait by the Ministry of Information. Although the reasons are unknown, it is speculated that the decision was influenced by the film's portrayal of Muslims.
The film allegedly portrays Muslim characters as terrorists, which the Kuwait government has condemned. In a parallel story, it is speculated that the reason could be due to the film's anti-Pakistan views.
The hostage drama Beast, directed by Nelson Dilip kumar, has Vijay in the major role. However, this is not the first time an Indian film has been banned in Kuwait. Previously, Dulquer Salmaan's Kurup and Vishnu Vishal's FIR had also been banned for identical reasons.
Surprisingly, while the film has been prohibited in Kuwait, it has been approved in the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries. Tamil superstar Vijay has a massive fan base in the Middle East, and the current ban in Kuwait may have an impact on the film's global box office haul.
Following Kuwait's prohibition, the film is also being criticised in Tamil Nadu. Mustafa, the leader of the Tamil Nadu Muslim League party, has also made a statement calling for the film to be banned. He said, “The film industry has been creating an impression that Muslims are extremists, as is often the case in Tamil films where Islamists are portrayed as extremists. We see social organisations expressing strong opposition to the inclusion of their caste identity and even the names of caste leaders in film characters. But it is a matter of great sorrow that the scenes in the films continue to be as if only the Islamists are engaged in a culture of bombing and gunfire and acting against the peace and sovereignty of the country".
According to Mustafa's statement, "It has been reported that the Beast movie features Islamists as extremists, when the reality is like this. Islamists currently observe fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. In this context, the problem will arise if Vijay’s Beast movie, which portrays Islamists as extremists, is released. Therefore, on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Muslim League, I urge Home Secretary SK Prabhakar to ban the release of the film Beast”.
The trailer, which was released on Saturday, hinted at high-octane action sequences. Vijay appears to be a solider who happened to be in a terrorist-infested mall.
Pooja Hegde plays the female lead in Vijay's 65th film, Beast. Selvaraghavan and Yogi Babu both play important roles.