Udta Punjab has opened in Pakistani theatres even after the Pakistani censor board passed the movie, based on the issue of drug abuse in Punjab, with 100 cuts and A certificate, earlier this week.
“If the purpose of making the film was to convey a point about drug abuse and menace it is now lost after the many cuts in Udta Punjab,” said well known film critic, Omair Alavi.
However, director Abhishek Chaubey says the makers had decided against the film’s release in Pakistan as they were unhappy with the cuts.
Mobashir Hasan, chairperson of the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC), admitted that they were around a 100 cuts in the film.
He said that since the film contained foul language, swearing, derogatory words it has been given an adult rating after the cuts.
“We have muted the swearing at and derogatory words and with certain excisions of scenes,” he said.
Hasan said references to Pakistan had also been excised.
“As per my last conversation we had decided to not release the film in Pak because we found the cuts unacceptable but please confirm it with the producers,” Chaubey said.
Strangely enough, the movie hit Pakistani screens on June 24, as reported by Dawn.
However, the fans have turned to the pirated version of the film as they are disappointed with the cuts imposed by the country’s censors. The owner of a leading video shop in the posh Clifton area said his customers were demanding uncut pirated copies of the film.
“Some of them went to watch the film in cinema halls and came back disappointed as they say it has been censored badly,” he said.
