Censor board thwarts Monkey Man release even after global cuts by Universal Studios toned down political implications

Dev Patel's Monkey Man faces censorship in India despite changes made by Universal Studios, including cutting scenes on religion and politics.

The Dev Patel-directed revenge drama Monkey Man, set in a dystopian version of India, is yet to be seen in the country because the Central Board of Film Certification has thwarted its release without formally banning it, by simply not scheduling a screening of the film for its advisory panel, according to a source.

This is despite the fact that Universal Studios has already made changes from its original cut of the film, clipping scenes which sharply emphasised the nexus between religion and politics. The version of the film that was released globally in theatres on April 5, and on streaming platforms in recent months, does not include these scenes. Apart from the cut scenes, Universal Studios also changed the colour of political banners in the film from saffron to red.

The Hindu obtained and reviewed these cut scenes in advance of the planned release of a Blu-ray disc carrying the deleted scenes as additional featurettes, which will soon become available abroad.

Universal Pictures had scheduled the film for a theatrical release in India on April 19, but it has still not been released officially in the country. According to a source with direct knowledge of the film’s journey through the censorship process, this is because the CBFC, which is in the position to either ban or approve the movie, has simply avoided scheduling a screening of Monkey Man for its Examining Committee.

The Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, notified in March, and its preceding 1983 version, both lay out a five-day deadline for a film to be referred to the Examining Committee, which watches films before taking decisions on what changes should be made, if any. That deadline passed in May, and the film has still not been seen by the censors.

The CBFC declined to reveal any details of the film’s examination in response to a Right to Information request by The Hindu. The CBFC’s Chief Executive Officer, Smita Vats Sharma, upheld its transparency officer’s decision to withhold these details under the Right to Information Act.

Warner Bros Pictures India, which distributes Universal Pictures movies in the country, declined to comment. A Universal Pictures spokesperson has not responded to questions on changes made to the film.