The success of Alia Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi at the box office has brought much needed hope among the industry and trade members. From today, theatres in 14 cities and districts in Maharashtra have been allowed to operate 100% occupancy. As a result, the trade expects the business to grow manifold in the month of March itself. One of the biggest films of this month is Bachchhan Paandey. Starring Akshay Kumar in the lead, it was always a keenly awaited film and the trailer has added to the hype.

Bollywood Hungama has now learnt that Bachchhan Paandey has already been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). As per the censor report, the examining committee asked for three cuts in the action comedy. There’s a scene of a slitting throat and blood oozing out. In another scene, a character is stabbed, leading to a lot of bloodshed. The CBFC members felt that the violence in both these places was quite gory. The makers were thus asked to remove or modify the violence in these sequences.

The third cut is with regards to a double meaning dialogue related to a banana. The CBFC asked the makers to reduce or modify the dialogue, a part of which is “Kabhi toh (kela) khaane ke liye bhi le liya kar”.

After these changes were made, Bachchhan Paandey was awarded a U/A certificate. The certificate was handed to the producers on February 28, 2022. The duration of the film, as mentioned on the censor certificate, is 149 minutes. In other words, Bachchhan Paandey is 2 hours and 29 minutes long.

Besides Akshay Kumar, Bachchhan Paandey also stars Kriti Sanon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Pankaj Tripathi and Prateik Babbar. It is directed by Farhad Samji and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

Bachchhan Paandey releases in cinemas on March 18, which is a holiday. A trade expert said, “It releases on Holi and this will prove to be an advantage. Cinemas are running with no restrictions in most parts of the country. The film seems like an ideal masala entertainer and as a result, expect the film to create a dhamaka at the ticket window.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Sajid Nadiadwala reveals why they named the film Bachchhan Paandey after Akshay Kumar’s character