94 cuts in a movie and we expect realistic cinema to be our thing? Imagine a movie on the drug scene in Punjab without the following:
1) Remove the tagline; ‘Drugs Di Maa Di’; I guess this denotes the bad about drugs. Any harm in supporting a tagline which is for the welfare of people?
2) Removing the signboard of Punjab in the beginning of the film
3) Removing everything related to Punjab; name of cities/dialogues/songs… Doesn’t it sound more of a silent film now!
4) Removing the name of a drug from a SONG… In literal sense, to change the whole song. Delete all the abuses from a film on Punjab where several abuse words are used more on a friendlier note. 20 abusive words including ‘kutti’ (bitch), chitta ve (a slang for cocaine) and haraami (bastard)
5) Removing the reference of government from the whole film… Imagine a film on drugs and the flourishing drug business in Punjab sans any reference to the govt?
6) Aren’t disclaimers important? But disclaimers all across the movie can be annoying.
The actors are in full support, leaving no stone unturned in delivering what is needed. An angry Shahid Kapoor says, “We have to support the message delivered in the film. This film has become the face of a fight. We live in the age of information and technology. Our generation and youth has the right to be informed. If they are not getting informed, then there is a problem.”
UDTA PUNJAB, THE POWERPOINT?
Disgusted with the brutal treatment to a sensitive topic like Udta Punjab, co-producer Anurag Kashyap also announced to release this movie as a mere PowerPoint presentation and not a full-fledged movie. As he says, “With so many CUTS & BANS, nothing is left. Now, the whole movie can be completed in a 20 slider presentation including the Welcome and Thank You slide in it.
Is your take the same on realistic cinema and do we still need a censor board to delete the main subject matter? As we always say, there are two worlds; one which is ready to see what reality is and the others can ignore and make plans for the other movies releasing on that day!
So the question arises, is it releasing and if yes, how many cuts will it have? Well, this decision will be taken only after the tribunal watches the film.
