1. Soni Razdan Calls for Recognition of Jaya Bachchan as an Independent Icon
Veteran actress Soni Razdan, currently portraying the legendary Kashmiri singer Raj Begum in Songs of Paradise, addressed a persistent issue in the film industry. She expressed disappointment over how women—exemplified by Jaya Bachchan—are frequently defined by their husbands rather than by their own achievements. Razdan emphasized that “Jaya Bachchan is a distinguished personality and professional in her own right and deserves acknowledgment independent of her marriage to Amitabh Bachchan.”
2. CBFC Imposes 23 Cuts on Baaghi 4 Despite Its ‘A’ Rating
Baaghi 4, starring Tiger Shroff, has sparked controversy after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanded 23 cuts—despite the film already holding an “A” (Adults only) certificate. These included removal of exposing scenes, graphic violence, and several objectionable dialogues, underscoring how even adult-rated content faces strict scrutiny.
Details of the Cuts:
- Visuals Removed or Altered:
- Shot of Shroff standing on a coffin.
- 1-second scene of a cigarette lit from a niranjan diya.
- A 13-second clip of lighting a cigarette from an amputated hand.
- A hand rubbing a girl’s hip.
- Knife thrown at a statue of Jesus Christ and a scene where the statue leans.
- Multiple throat-slashing scenes, hands being cut, and a sword inserted into a skull.
- An 11-second sequence of extreme violence.
- Audio Edits:
- “Bhang b*****a” replaced with milder phrasing.
- “B****e” and “fingering” (by cops) substituted.
- The word “condom” was muted from the dialogue “Bhai tujhe condom mein hi rehna chahiye tha.”
- “Tera wajood hi mit jaayega God” changed to “Sab dekhte reh jayenge.”
- Entire line “Woh bhi darta hai mujhse” deleted.
- Dialogue “Don khoke, ekdum ok” was muted.