Grand Masti will not release in the UAE

Bollywood comedy Grand Masti will not release in the UAE on Thursday as planned, a top official at the National Media Council has confirmed to tabloid!

“There were some sexually explicit scenes in this film. Normally, we hold such films back,” said said Juma Obaid Al Leem, director of the Media Content Tracking Department at the Council on Tuesday afternoon.

He added that films of such nature needed careful review.

“We will be creating a detailed report on it tomorrow after watching it again.”

The film, which releases in India on Friday, is a sequel to 2004 hit Masti and features Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani in key roles. It’s an adventure tale of three best friends and their college reunion. Regarded as Bollywood’s answer to the American Pie instalment, the film features unhappily married men who crave adventure in their lives.

Local distributors of the film declined to comment on the issue, but the film has been pulled from the weekly schedule.

Recently, films such as the thriller Raaz 3 and comedy OMG! Oh My God were kept “under review” and subsequently not released.

The film is causing quite a ruckus in India too. A lawyer in the state of Punjab has filed a petition to stay the release of the film, alleging it degrades women. The Punjab and Haryana High Court have blocked the release of the film in their respective states.