The Censor Certificate is Out
Bollywood’s censor board has once again proved they have no shortage of creativity when it comes to cleaning up dialogues. Bandar, the upcoming dark drama starring Bobby Deol and directed by Anurag Kashyap, has been passed with an ‘A’ certificate – but not before some rather inventive substitutions were made to the abusive language.
According to industry sources who have accessed the censor certificate, the Examining Committee did not demand any visual cuts. Instead, they focused entirely on the words. The most talked-about replacement? The phrase ‘b**** c***’ has been swapped with ‘banjo’. Yes, the musical instrument. Fans are already joking that the scene might sound like a playful folk number now. The film, which releases on June 5, marks Bobby Deol’s first collaboration with Anurag Kashyap, adding to the anticipation.
From ‘Banjo’ to ‘Aicha Gavat’: A Wild Word Swap
The CBFC’s list of replacements reads like a bizarre dictionary. Alongside ‘banjo’, other extreme cuss words have been replaced with terms like ‘c*****e’, ‘g***u’, ‘f****r’, ‘haramkhor’, ‘saale’, ‘pagal’, ‘bloody’, ‘hooking up’, ‘moron’, ‘g***d’, ‘c****a’, ‘wise guy’, ‘f*****g’, ‘j***t ke baal’, ‘saamaan’, ‘ling’, ‘b****e’, ‘j***t’, ‘willy’, ‘weenie’, and ‘clown’. Some substitutions are even more puzzling – ‘aicha gavat’, ‘goddamit’, ‘baby’, ‘nasha’, ‘ladki’, ‘kamine’, and ‘hum sab’ also made the final cut. It’s a linguistic potpourri that has left many scratching their heads.
One particular word – ‘b*****d’ – was ordered to be completely deleted from the film. Three abusive words were muted entirely, including one in the crucial third act. The dialogue ‘kitna bhi sindoor’ was also asked to be modified. Clearly, the censor board took a keen interest in sanitizing the script without affecting the visual narrative.
No Visual Cuts, But Plenty of Other Changes
Despite the heavy dialogue adjustments, the CBFC did not require any visual cuts. The makers had to submit documentary evidence to prove the story is inspired by true events, along with consent letters from celebrities whose names are used in the film. Once these requirements were fulfilled, the censor certificate was issued on May 30, just days before the June 5 release. The total runtime is 130 minutes and 27 seconds – a tight 2-hour-10-minute ride.
Besides Bobby Deol, Bandar features an impressive ensemble cast including Sapna Pabbi, Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Jitendra Joshi. The film’s gritty subject and Kashyap’s signature style have already generated buzz, and the song ‘Come On Baby’ has added to the hype. With such an interesting censor list, the film is sure to spark conversations even before it hits the big screen. Fans are now curious to hear how ‘banjo’ and ‘aicha gavat’ will sound in the theatre – only time will tell if the replacements add a quirky charm to this dark drama.