Bhooth Bangla's Censor Board Gauntlet: The Initial Snips
So, Akshay Kumar’s much-anticipated Bhooth Bangla is gearing up for its big release on April 17, with some early paid previews kicking off on April 16. With Dhurandhar The Revenge still making waves, all eyes are definitely on this horror-comedy. But before we get to the spooky laughs, let's talk about the drama behind the scenes – specifically, the censor board’s involvement. And trust me, it’s a bit of a story.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) eventually stamped a U/A 16+ rating on Bhooth Bangla. But, as is often the case, it wasn't a straight shot. The Examining Committee had a few notes. They asked for an 'obscene word' to be replaced around the 26-minute mark. Then, another set of 'obscene words' got the chop about an hour into the film. Even a subtitle, towards the end, wasn't spared, with an 'obscene word' being removed there too. Some typical censor board stuff, honestly. They also insisted on replacing a 'denigrating reference to women' in the first half – good on them for that, I say. And of course, disclaimers were a must for any religious or superstitious references.
Once all those changes were made, the film finally got its censor certificate on April 2. The initial runtime? A hefty 174.57 minutes. That's 2 hours, 54 minutes, and 57 seconds. Phew! Remember how Bollywood Hungama had hinted at a runtime around 170 minutes? Well, they were pretty spot on, weren't they?
Makers Take Matters Into Their Own Hands: A Voluntary Trim
But here’s where the Bhooth Bangla saga gets really interesting, yaar. Just a few days ago, the film's team did something quite proactive. After getting their initial certificate, they went back to the CBFC, not because they were forced, but because they had voluntarily made even more cuts to the film. Talk about being dedicated to delivering a tight package!
On April 11, the CBFC accepted these new, self-imposed trims. The makers snipped as many as 63 scenes! While many were just a second or two here and there, some were more substantial. For instance, a scene from the song 'O Sundari' was completely deleted, accounting for a solid 72 seconds (that's 1 minute and 12 seconds!). And 'O Re O Sawariya' also lost 27 seconds. All these voluntary cuts collectively brought down Bhooth Bangla's duration by a significant 10 minutes and 5 seconds.
The revised, leaner runtime now stands at 164.52 minutes, which is 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 52 seconds. Honestly, a horror-comedy running nearly three hours can be a tough sell, especially if the pacing isn't absolutely spot-on. Trimming a full 10 minutes, *after* certification, shows the makers are serious about keeping the audience engaged. It’s a smart move, I say, ensuring the film feels crisp and avoids any lag. Let’s hope this leaner, meaner Bhooth Bangla delivers full paisa vasool entertainment when it hits screens!
