Recently, filmmaker Anupam Sharma’s Australian romcom ‘UnIndian’, starring former Australian cricketer Brett Lee and Tannishtha Chatterjee, ran into trouble with the Indian censor board after the makers were asked to slash the 65-second lovemaking scene to 26 seconds.
The makers have finally agreed to meet the demands of CBFC but have put forward a condition requesting the board to add a line, suggesting that the content has been toned down to make it suitable for the Indian audience, says a report in Midday.
Justifying his stand, the filmmaker told Midday,
“I have been asked to cut a lovemaking scene to get a U/A certificate. I have agreed since I don’t want to hold my distributors to ransom. But since that’s not my vision, I have requested the CBFC to insert a line declaring that the scene has been modified for the Indian audience.”
According to the report, the CBFC wasn’t convinced with the scene and wanted the “sideways visual and end climactic shot” from the sex scene be removed and the sex scene not be juxtaposed with the mantra chanting spiritual scene.
However, Sharma argues that the the downsizing will kill the conceptualisation and impact of the scene. Despite not being happy with the suggested cuts, he is ready to oblige provided his request is entertained.
Expressing his view, he told Midday,
“My advisers told me it is a rather unusual request, but I think it is fair that the audience is informed that is not how I directed the scene and have been forced to cut it. Let’s see how it goes.”
The film is expected to release this October.