Bollywood and its fascinated following have been so perversely busy following Simran actress Kangana Ranaut’s relentless attack on reported ex-flame Hrithik Roshan in the electronic media, that they have forgotten the actress’ film is up for release this week. And buzz is that it’s come up before the Central Board of Film Certification and cleared after ten cuts with U/A certificate.

Simran director Hansal Mehta, who threw a tantrum in February 2016 when the CBFC under Pahlaj Nihalani suggested one cut only in his biographical Aligarh on controversial Marathi Prof. Ramchandra Siras, has apparently meekly accepted the Censor Board’s ten cuts for Kangana’s film.

The reason being Hansal knew he had the choice to take the cuts recommended by the CBFC or waste time appealing to the Film Certification Tribunal (FCAT) which filmmakers can approach if they disagree with the Examining Committee and Revising Committee of the Censor Board.

Buzz is among the cuts “recommended” is the word “b*tch” which the CBFC found objectionable and wanted to be deleted in six scenes of Simran. The guidelines are clear, said an Information & Broadcasting Ministry source, the CBFC will not allow any derogating of women by gesture or language. And this rule has got nothing to do with current chairperson Prasoon Joshi or his predecessor, the beleaguered Pahlaj Nihalani.
Also ordered cut is the word “bast**d” and one casual reference to the Muslim community that was in poor taste as per CBFC standards. Plus some scenes of violence. But, perhaps, the most damaging cut in Simran is not the reported sexual scene which Kangana would have expectedly done justice to, but the soundtrack accompanying the lovemaking sequence.

Sources say that while the scene has been allowed by the CBFC, the censors took objection to the loud moaning sounds during the onscreen sexual act. “The sounds made the sex scene appear far more provocative than it actually was,” the source revealed. So Hansal was asked to tone it down. And apparently, the director agreed and was happy to go with a U/A certificate for Simran. The Bollywood bitch brigade is not surprised by the CBFC’s biggest cut. “With a loudmouth like Kangana Ranaut, you can expect a lot of noise even during sex!” they say.