Why Is Singham Again Facing A Seven-Minute Cut By CBFC?

Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again is scheduled to release on November 1, but it has reportedly undergone significant cuts mandated by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). A total of 7.12 minutes of footage were removed.

Singham Again Faces 7-Minute Cut Amid Allegations 

According to Bollywood Hungama’s report, several references to characters from the Ramayana were cut, including a 23-second sequence showing Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lord Hanuman alongside Singham, Avni, and Simmba. The CBFC also asked to modify a 23-second scene where Singham touches Lord Rama's feet.

Additionally, a 16-second scene depicting Raavan forcibly interacting with Sita was completely deleted, and another 29-second scene referencing Lord Hanuman burning Lanka was also removed. 

Arjun Kapoor's character, Zubair, had four lines modified, including a dialogue with Simmba. The visuals of the constitutional head were deleted in two instances, and Kareena Kapoor's lines were also altered. Moreover, due to concerns over India's diplomatic relations, a 26-second dialogue and visuals were removed. A violent beheading scene was blurred, the colour of a religious flag was changed, and the religious hymn "Shiv Stotra" was deleted from the background score. The dialogue mentioning Ravan was also modified for sensitivity.

Milap Zaveri On Allegations Of Using Ramayana As A Marketing Tool

Since the release of the full trailer, many have claimed that the Ramayana theme in Singham Again was a last-minute addition to make the film suitable for Diwali. However, Milap Zaveri, one of the film's writers, has dismissed these allegations.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Zaveri explained, "This film was initially set to release on August 15, which has nothing to do with Diwali. The delay occurred during the shooting stage, and it just happened that we are now releasing on Diwali alongside a film that includes Ramayana. This is purely coincidental. We didn’t add Ramayana to take advantage of Diwali; it was part of the script from the very beginning, even when we weren't planning a Diwali release."

Singham Again's Trailer 

The trailer starts with the introduction of Kareena Kapoor's character, Avani. Avani is a theatre director who showcases stories from the Ramayana, and her latest narrative focuses on the love story of Rama and Sita. Avani narrates how Rama went on a 3,000-kilometer journey to rescue Sita from Ravana and in a heartfelt moment, Ajay as Bajirao Singham declares he would do the same for Avani, emphasising their strong bond.

The trailer then hints at Avani's abduction, reminiscent of the act of Graha in Hindu mythology, positioning the Singham couple as contemporary parallels to Rama and Sita. As the narrative unfolds, Singham embarks on a quest to find Avani, adding an intriguing layer to the plot. This mission introduces viewers to other characters, including Tiger Shroff as Lakshman, whose character name is yet to be revealed. Additionally, Deepika Padukone joins the ensemble as Shakti Shetty.

Ranveer Singh reprises his role as Sangram Bhaleraoand from Simmba and his character is revealed to be Hanuman. Akshay Kumar stars as Veer Sooryavanshi from Sooryavanshi and takes on the role of Jatayu, the eagle from the epic tale. The grand antagonist, Ravana, is portrayed by Arjun Kapoor. The trailer features an ensemble cast that includes notable actors including Ravi Kishan, Jackie Shroff, Shweta Tripathi, and Dayanand Chandrashekhar Shetty among others. Take a look at the trailer. 

The trailer for Singham Again was unveiled at the impressive Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, featuring stars including Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Tiger Shroff. However, Deepika Padukone was notably absent from the event.

Singham Again is set to hit theatres on November 1, where it will face off against Kartik Aaryan and Vidya Balan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 at the box office.