Earlier, TMMK, that was part of the 20-odd organisations

that protested against the film, thanked Jayalalithaa for supporting the minority community. "Despite a lot of criticism, she stood by the minorities," MH Jawahirullah, president of TMMK, said in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. On the first controversy over his decision to release the film on the Direct-to-Home platform, which was ultimately red-flagged by exhibitors, Haasan said he will hold talks with them to see how the issue "can be taken forward." Vishwaroopam, originally scheduled for January 25 release, started screening in some theatres as early as 6 AM today. The two-week ban on the spy-thriller, centring around terror, triggered a wave of support for Haasan, who had threatened to go on a self-imposed exile. The actor said he had pledged his house and other property for the Rs 100 crore film. The Hindi and Telugu versions were released without much ado and Tamil also in Kerala and Karnataka.