'Kites' not to release in Karnataka

Bangalore, May 20 (IANS) The much-awaited movie 'Kites', starring Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori, slated to be released all over the world Friday, is not to be screened in Karnataka, the state's film association has said.

In a special executive meeting, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) Thursday night decided that 'Kites' will not be screened in any theatre in Karnataka.

Basanth Kumar Patil, president of KFCC, told IANS that the executive meeting decided against allowing the film's screening because its makers have 'violated the regulatory principles of the chamber'.

'The film's release will be detrimental to the interest of Kannada cinema if it is allowed to be screened all over,' Patil said.

All single screen and multiplexes are members of KFCC.

No representative of Reliance was present at the meeting Thursday evening. Big Pictures owned by Reliance Group is releasing the film.

Kannada film producers and film distributors of all languages who are members of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce have protested against the film as it was slated to release in more than 90 theatres, exceeding the limit of 24 theatres stipulated in the state.

Patil had earlier said that many big Hindi films starring Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan like '3 Idiots' and 'My Name is Khan' have been released in fewer than 24 theatres and the distributors of these major films complied with the KFCC orders.