Censor Board axes Alia-Varun kiss from Karan Johar's next

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan in 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya'

Even before Narendra Modi takes oath as India's next Prime Minister, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has become overcautious about certifying films.

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan in 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya'

On Wednesday, the promo of Karan Johar's 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya' was slated to be certified by the CBFC.

After viewing the promo, the censor board decided to ask the makers to delete a smooching sequence between lead pair Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan.

A source from the board says that Karan Johar's team questioned the board's suggestion. "Karan Johar's team argued that in the recent past, several films featuring smooching scenes - including his latest film, '2 States' - have attracted no such instructions. But the board was not okay with the close up shots of the kissing scene between the actors. They have, however, allowed a long shot," says the source.

The source also says that regional boards across the country have been asked to watch out for excessive skin show, intimate scenes and risqué content in new films. This is said to indicate that CBFC is currently adopting a wait and watch strategy before the new central government's outlook on such films becomes crystal clear.

It maybe recalled here that Mithlesh Tripathi, the national convenor of BJP's art and culture cell, had recently said that they plan to support movies that are rich in cultural values and have a strong Indian flavour to them. "Many films are released every week, but they are hardly able to portray Indian art and culture. Our attempt will be to showcase Indian social values through movies," he had said.

Apurva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions, confirmed the news. He said, "Yes, the censor board has asked us to delete the kissing scene and we have done the needful respecting its concerns."