Bollywood film Udta Punjab, which braved a tough battle for release in India, will now be released in Pakistan with multiple cuts.
“All the foul language, including swearing at and derogatory words, remarks have been muted along with certain excisions of scenes. The movie has been granted ‘A’ rating by the full board of CBFC [Central Board of Film Censors],” Mobashir Hasan, chairperson, CBFC, said from Islamabad.
Hasan added: “Scenes which even subtly refer to Pakistan, [the number] 786 [which is auspicious for some Muslims]... and all the foul language and such words have been excised, muted and beeped.”
A source in the country’s film distribution market said that about eight minutes of “basically abusive language” have been cut. However, a release date is yet to be decided upon.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Board of Film Certification, which works independent of the CBFC, is yet to grant a release certificate to the movie.
“We have asked a local distributor and importer to mute all abusive language as that is a direct violation of the existing censor code, and a few cuts. The film will be certified soon and hopefully released soon,” Fakhr-e-Alam, chairperson of the Sindh censor board, said from Karachi.
They are now waiting for the film’s Pakistan distributor to comply with requirements. “Only after that, the certificate will be issued,” Alam said.
Udta Punjab features power-packed and convincing performances by Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh.
“It’s powerful cinema,” Alam said, adding: “Alia Bhatt has just set the bar too high for all the leading ladies.”
The film is about the drug problem in Punjab, and this has been told through actors Kapoor, who plays a youth icon and rock star who is always high; Bhatt, playing a Bihari migrant worker who falls into the trap of drug peddlers; Kapoor Khan, a doctor on a mission to end drug trafficking; and Dosanjh, a police officer who dares to take on the system after his brother falls victim to the drug menace.
With its unapologetic use of abusive language, Udta Punjab wasn’t deemed fit for release even with an ‘A’ certificate by the Indian censor board, which initially ordered 89 cuts and removal of reference to the state.
The makers — led by producer Anurag Kashyap — took the case to the Bombay High Court, and walked away victorious after agreeing to make one cut and adding three disclaimers.
The controversy stretched for almost two weeks, and became a larger issue when politicians stepped in with their comments. The row also raised questions about the role of the censor board. It united filmmakers who demanded an organisation that only certifies films, and does not cut parts of it.
The movie got a favourable response in India for its anti-drug message and also for its strong performances. It made Rs383 million (Dh20.8 million) in four days of its release in the country.
