Top Bollywood directors Mahesh Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali, Satish Kaushik, Sudhir Mishra and Ramesh Taurani along with ‘Udta Punjab’ actors Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt tore into CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani’s defence for ordering 89 cuts in the film!
Here’s a list of ‘some’ of the cuts the Censor Board has demanded:
1. Cut: Delete the signboard of Punjab in the beginning
2. Delete the name of cities like Punjab, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran and more (All reference of Punjab cities in the dialogues/songs, anywhere in the film should be removed)
3. From Song Number 1: Name of a drug (References to drug nowhere)
4. Words from song 3 (Delete the word ‘Chitta’ from the song).
6. Delete Abuses.
7. Delete the word elections, MP, party, Party Worker, MLA, Punjab parliament (No references: no govt rep references) (38 mins).
8. Song no:3 Delete the scene of a scratching Sardar.
9. Censor board wants long disclaimers like: The film focuses on the rising menace of drugs and the war against drugs and is an attempt effects of drugs. We acknowledge the battle against drugs being fought by govt and police but it can’t be won unless people of India unite against this menace.
