Cutting ‘cuss words’ and ‘drug scenes’ from Udta Punjab will make it a 30 min TV episode

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. In recent times, the Censor Board has come under the scanner for demanding excessive cuts from both Bollywood and Hollywood films.

2. In most cases, if the makers are not happy with the Censor Board’s rating, they first try to convince the examining committee (EC). If that fails, they reach out to the revising committee (RC). If the RC too fails to provide them the required rating or allow certain scenes, the last resort is to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).

3. In the case of Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s upcoming ‘Udta Punjab’, the makers were prepared to get an ‘A’ certification since the movie deals with the subject of rampant drug abuse in the state of Punjab. But, the board insisted on cutting a major portion of the cuss words and substance abuse scenes. The makers therefore decided to skip the RC and approached the FCAT for a reviewal directly.

4. In the recent past, makers of ‘Great Grand Masti’, ‘Jai Gangaajal’ and ‘Mastizaade’ had approached the FCAT and got their movies cleared with limited number of cuts.

5. A source confirmed that although the board unanimously agreed with an ‘A’ rating for Udta Punjab, they were divided on the number of cuts. The makers, on the other hand, wanted the film to release with minimum cuts as editing the cuss words and drug related scenes would transform it into a 30 minute TV show episode. With three weeks left for the movie’s release, the makers are currently waiting for the FCAT committee’s decision with bated breaths.