'Sivaji' screened for censors, gets 'U'

May 17, 2007 PVS

Officials of the Central Board of Film Certification watched Rajini-starrer "Sivaji: The Boss" at the AVM Studios preview theatre in Chennai earlier this week and passed the film.

The film has been given 'U' certificate which means it can be viewed by children and adults. The censors found no controversial scenes, according to sources.

The movie, directed by Shankar and produced on a lavish scale by AVM, has been filmed with its story being kept a closely guarded secret. In fact, secrecy has enveloped the production of the film from the start. Various versions of the story that appeared in bits and pieces from time to time in the media are dismissed as a mere guess work.

According to the grapevine, even the script submitted to the censors was prepared in secrecy. Normally whoever is entrusted with the task of preparing the script for submission to the censors would get it typed at places convenient to him. But for "Sivaji", it was ensured that the pre-censor work was carried out in utmost secrecy on the premises of the AVM Studios. A computer was installed specially for composing the script. It was first hand-written and after it was composed on this computer, the paper on which the script had been written was destroyed immediately. The person who was selected for the job was made to swear that he would keep " mum" till the release of the film and in return he was offered double the remuneration that is usually paid for this type work.

Meanwhile, reports are making the rounds that no final decision was taken till May 16 on selling the Tamil Nadu rights of "Sivaji". Those in the race to buy the rights are Sun Network, Sai Meera, Reliance, Gemini Lab and two others. The fierce competition is triggered by expectations that the film would rake in huge money from Chennai city theatres. The producers have sold the film at fabulous rates to foreign distributors.

The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association's decision to share the collections with producers on a 60-40 percentage basis for the first week, has placed the producers of "Sivaji" in a piquant situation as they had made arrangements to release the film in 350 to 400 theatres in Tamil Nadu.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Sivaji - The Boss