In the past few months, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has enthusiastically pulled out its scissors for many movies, from Emergency to The Apprentice. Now, there is an addition to the list with the biographical drama, Girl You Know It’s True. mid-day has learnt that the CBFC has instructed the makers to remove the word ‘gay’ from a scene, flagging it as potentially controversial.

Directed by Simon Verhoeven, Girl You Know It’s True chronicles the rise and fall of music duo Milli Vanilli, consisting of Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The duo shot to fame before facing public disgrace over revelations of lip-syncing. The film includes personal aspects of their lives, with director Verhoeven showcasing how their identities and relationships influenced their journey.

However, sources close to the CBFC claim that the members advised the studio to either remove the word ‘gay’ or mute it or substitute it with a neutral phrase in one sequence. It wasn’t a unanimous decision. “This request sparked debate within the censor board’s committee, raising concerns regarding LGBTQIA+ representation in cinema. The members discussed internally for days. They didn’t think the word should be muted, but eventually felt that it didn’t harm the core story,” revealed a source.

The board also asked the team to mute certain words, including f**k, sex, ass, and pu**y. The source added, “Some drug-licking visuals have been deleted. Plus, an anti-drug disclaimer has been inserted at multiple spots in the film.”