Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 25, 2018)

After the Central Board of Film Certification demanded “a series of cuts” in Rajkummar Rao’s Omerta — which is based on British terrorist of Pakistani descent Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh’s life — director Hansal Mehta was forced to knock on the door of the Revising Committee.

“I had gone to the Board asking for an A certificate, but the Examining Committee demanded a series of cuts. I even lost track of the number. The Revising Committee was understanding. One of the demanded cuts involves a scene showcasing full frontal nudity. It’s a violent sex sequence which they found too rough for general viewing. The scene is not about sex, but aims at depicting the mental state of my protagonist.”

The second sequence, he adds, is one that showcases the protagonist urinating in prison while the national anthem plays in the background. “That, apparently, is unconstitutional. So we had to let it go,” says Mehta, adding that the cuts don’t hamper the narrative.