Anurag Kashyap's Ugly, which played in the Director's Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, will open in the theatres in India on December 26. Interestingly, the director's period drama, Bombay Velvet, featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, was initially planned as a Christmas release but has since been pushed forward to May 15, 2015.

Confirming Ugly's Christmas outing, the film's producer Vivek Rangachari told Mirror, “We wanted to unveil the date just a fortnight before the release. A crisp campaign is being planned. There is a lot of buzz surrounding the film.“

The film was set to release on October 11, 2013 but while applying for a certificate, Kashyap wrote a letter to the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) registering his protest against the anti-smoking disclaimer, pointing out that it is against his fundamental rights under Article 19 (Right to speech and expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life).

The CBFC responded by saying that he wouldn't be granted a censor certificate unless he complied with the rules. The Cigarettes and Tobacco Products Act makes it mandatory for filmmakers to carry the disclaimer.
The director then filed a petition against the Board at the Mumbai High Court. In May, the Union government opposed the petition. However, the court allowed Kashyap to make a representation before the Central government seeking modifications in the rules.

Looks like Kashyap has finally made peace with the censor rules.When asked what made him change his mind, Rangachari retorted, “That's something only Anurag can answer.“

Ah well, we'll puff away at the question while we wait for Anurag's Ugly Santa Claus to come jingling into town.