The chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Leela Samson was shocked upon hearing about the ban of Kamal's "Vishwaroopam". The movie was to be released on the 25th of January but was banned in fear of religious unrest in Tamil Nadu. The ban has now been extended to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala too.

Leela Samson said, "This is hounding of an artist, a man who is an icon of Tamil Nadu. We are sensitive to issues. The group objecting to 'Vishwaroopam' have the freedom not to view it. We will object to the language used by the lawyer representing the Tamil Nadu government against the censor board. It is absolutely unacceptable. We have certified hundreds and thousands of films but only with Vishwaroopam, people find, it has not been done with due diligence? This is an infringement on freedom of expression."