Censor Board reveals 24 cuts in 'Empuraan,' including villain’s name change
Among the key changes, the main villain’s name has been altered from Balraj Bajrangi to Baldev.
Among the key changes, the main villain’s name has been altered from Balraj Bajrangi to Baldev.
Among the key changes, the main villain’s name has been altered from Balraj Bajrangi to Baldev.
The re-edited version of 'Empuraan' has 24 cuts, not 17 as initially reported, according to the latest certificate issued by the Censor Board of Film Certification.
Notable changes include renaming the main villain from Balraj Bajrangi to Baldev, removing Central Minister Suresh Gopi’s name from the thank-you card, and muting references to the NIA.
A scene with a vehicle passing through a background containing religious symbols has been removed, and some dialogues between the main villain and another antagonist have been edited, the certificate noted. A scene depicting the violence and assault of a woman has also been cut.
The Board said the deletion was done voluntarily by the applicant after the initial certification.
Addressing the ongoing controversy, producer Antony Perumbavoor also clarified that the team made the edits voluntarily and were not the result of political pressure. “These changes were not made out of fear. We are part of society, and we never intend to create films that hurt people. That is not how we operate. Neither Mohanlal sir, Prithviraj, nor I believe in doing that. If the film unintentionally caused harm to anyone, it is our responsibility to address it. In such cases, it is the duty of the actor, director, and producer to step up, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” Antony stated.