Controversial film Udta Punjab was leaked online on Wednesday, two days ahead of its scheduled release in Indian theatres (in releases in the UAE on June 16). However, the film’s team managed to remove it from torrent sites.
On Wednesday afternoon, it emerged that the Abhishek Chaubey directorial — which has been in the news for its run-in with the censor board — was available on torrent sites. However, the links were “removed due to a copyright complaint”, the websites read.
As per multiple online platforms that had snapshots from the leaked copy, one could say it was a copy of the film submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as it featured scenes that the censor board had objected to.
There were also reports that the leaked copy had a run-time of two hours and 20 minutes.
Representatives from the film’s producers refused to comment.
Udta Punjab was in the news after the censor board ordered 89 cuts to be made to the film. Later, it went to the Revising Committed, which brought it down to 13 cuts. However, the Bombay High Court on Monday gave the drug-themed movie a green signal for release after making just one cut and inserting three disclaimers.
The CBFC felt that Udta Punjab showcased Punjab in a poor light, with a highlight on its drug problem.
Udta Punjab stars Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh.
