Dhadak 2 Clears CBFC Hurdle with 16 Cuts, Set for Release
The changes made to Dhadak 2 reflect the CBFC's efforts to balance creative freedom with social responsibility, and the film's clearance is expected to pave the way for its release in the coming months. With its sensitive references to politics, religion, and social issues altered or removed, Dhadak 2 is poised to spark important conversations and debates about the issues that matter most to Indian society.
Karan Johar's Dhadak 2, a sequel to the 2018 film, has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after making 16 significant changes to meet the guidelines, including altering dialogues and removing scenes featuring caste-based discrimination.
The film, directed by Shazia Iqbal, has been given a U/A 16+ certificate, indicating that it is suitable for viewers above the age of 16. The changes made to the film include altering a dialogue about caste-based discrimination, changing a dialogue that referred to the upper caste, and muting and dubbing casting slurs. Additionally, a violent scene was replaced with a black screen, and a swear word was muted.
The CBFC also made changes to the film's references to politics, religion, and social issues, including replacing a dialogue that said "Dharam ka kaam hai" with "Punya ka kaam hai". A scene featuring the humiliation of the protagonist's father was also removed, and a doha by Tulsidas was replaced with a couplet that roughly translates to "Shoot arrows that may seem small but inflict great damage when they hit." A 51-second disclaimer was added at the start of the film, which was extended to 1 minute and 51 seconds.
The film's release date is yet to be announced, but it is expected to hit the screens soon. Starring Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi, Dhadak 2 is a remake of the Tamil anti-caste film Pariyerum Perumal, which was released in 2018 with four cuts. The CBFC's clearance of the film with 16 cuts indicates that the board is taking a cautious approach to ensure that the film is suitable for all audiences.