CBFC Grants U/A Certificate to John Abraham and Sharvari’s Film Following Delay
New Delhi:
Only a few days before its premiere, John Abraham and Sharvari’s upcoming movie Vedaa was granted approval by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a U/A rating. However, the Revising Committee (RC) reportedly trimmed more than 9 minutes from the movie and requested the addition of a 1-minute and 16-second altered disclaimer and voiceover at the start. As per Bollywood Hungama, the board made various minor adjustments to the movie. These included altering a conversation with disrespectful mentions towards women and social identity, removing a 2-minute and 16-second hanging scene and muting the word “Jodhpur” from the Jodhpur High Court. Additionally, they insisted on reducing the violence scene in the court by 30 per cent, resulting in the removal of 6 minutes and 15 seconds from the film.
Other modifications involved eliminating an audio track of Sanskrit shlokas, adjusting an offensive word, blurring visuals of tearing currency notes, and erasing text stating ‘Brahmin son…Shudra’s son.’ In total, these alterations added up to 9 minutes and 14 seconds. Following these edits, the duration of Vedaa is now 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Vedaa obtained its CBFC certification after the creators raised concerns about an ‘unusual delay’ from the board. In a statement, they mentioned, “Following the correct procedures, we applied for a certificate well before the required eight weeks before release. Our movie was screened for the CBFC on June 25th. Subsequently, we were moved to a revising committee review without any clarification on the concerns or objections of the esteemed examining committee. Since then, we have patiently awaited the formation of a revising committee, appealed to all respected and honorable officials, and consistently documented our request for certification, consideration, or even an explanation. Despite this unusual delay, we have complete faith in the existing system and trust that the CBFC will address our concerns appropriately.”
Director Nikkhil Advani previously stated, “Vedaa is more than just a movie. It is based on real events, reflects our society, and challenges the boundaries of reality. Collaborating with John, Sharvari, and Abhishek Banerjee has been an amazing experience, and I am thrilled to finally announce the release date, hoping that the audience will be as moved as we were when we first heard the story of Vedaa,” as reported by ANI.
The film also features Abhishek Bannerjee and Tamannaah Bhatia. It is set to premiere in theaters on Independence Day, August 15.