“Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” gets three cuts from Indian Censor Board

MUMBAI — The unbelievable has happened. The Indian Censor Board recently suggested Sooraj Barjatya, possibly the cleanest filmmaker in Bollywood, to effect three cuts in his upcoming Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor-starrer, “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.” The board took objection to the use of “rakhail” (mistress) apart from two other scenes, NDTV reported. The examining committee watched the film last week before suggesting the cuts, a source from the film’s team said. The two scenes that have been censored includes a Ram-Leela sequence which had a couple of old, Hindi melodies playing in the background. “The scene plays out with the film’s title track and was interspersed with two old songs in some portions. The Censor Board felt it was not suitable to accompany the Ram-Leela visuals. The other scene shows a person being hanged, but the examining committee wanted it to be a long shot. The makers have complied with all the suggestions,” added a source close to the project. The censor trouble came as a shock to the film’s unit, especially since Barjatya is at the helm. “He is known for making the cleanest family films. In fact, “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” has zero offensive content. This is the first time that such a thing has happened with Barjatya. This is truly shocking,” said the source. — Agencies