Udaipur Files, a film based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal's murder in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in 2022, is in the news due to controversy. According to director Bharat Shrinate, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has made 150 cuts to the film, slated to hit the screen on July 11 (Friday).
Kanhaiya Lal was hacked to death at his tailoring shop in the busy Hathipole area of Udaipur in June 2022 by two cleaver-wielding men for allegedly supporting a social media post against Islam, an incident that sent shockwaves across the country.
Udaipur Files, produced by Amit Jani, stars Vijay Raaz in the role of Kanhaiya Lal. The film also stars Rajneesh Duggal, Preeti Jhangiani, Kamlesh Sawant, Kanchi Singh and Mushtaq Khan.
Asked whether the CBFC asked any scene to be removed from the film, Bharat Shrinate told NDTV, "They have made 150 cuts in my film. We made several rounds of the Censor Board office for at least two months. This film is not about any religion or faith, it's about ideology and truth."
"Firstly, how can people assume what's in the film without watching it? Secondly, I submitted the film to the Indian Censor Board, not to anybody else. People who are protesting against the film won't decide whether the film will be released or not. The Censor Board has its terms and conditions, rules and regulations. What will be kept or removed, it's their call," the director added.
Not only censor issues, Udaipur Files is also courting legal trouble for its alleged depiction of real-life events.
According to a PTI report, a petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking to stay the release of the film, claiming that the movie has potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order in the country. The petition is likely to come up for hearing today.
Udaipur Files was previously titled Gyanvapi Files: A Tailor's Murder Story. It was earlier scheduled to be released on June 27.
