Doosra gets adult rating but no cuts: Abhinay Deo on CBFC
Abhinay Deo says Doosra and Delhi Belly both cleared the CBFC with A certificates, no cuts, and one word changed each. His new film releases October 23.
Abhinay Deo has a rare CBFC record: two films, two adult certificates, and no cuts. The filmmaker’s new drama Doosra, which opens in cinemas on October 23, went through the Central Board of Film Certification the same way his 2011 dark comedy Delhi Belly did — with one word changed and no fight.
A short meeting and a clear trade
When Doosra reached the board, reports said the CBFC flagged a brief shot of a nude photograph in an adult magazine and a reference to the Babri Masjid episode. Deo did not want to remove material that mattered to the story, so he accepted an A certificate instead of making the requested changes.
He says the conversation was over in under ten minutes. Asked what rating he expected, he told the board that a U/A would be great, but not if it required cuts. The board’s ask, he says, was tiny: change one word, as it had done on Delhi Belly.
“I have never had a fight with them,” he told Hindustan Times.
What the adult rating means for Doosra
Doosra follows Tara, a young woman in a conservative Rajasthan household, who watches Sourav Ganguly’s shirt-waving celebration at Lord’s after the 2002 NatWest Series win and begins to question the restrictions placed on her. Deo believes the film is not one a 13-year-old should watch alone, but says it is an important one for them to see.
He has no issue with the film later reaching audiences on streaming, where the adult rating creates fewer barriers.
The details at a glance
- Film: Doosra, a Hindi drama inspired by the 2002 NatWest Series.
- Certification: A certificate, no scene cuts; only one word changed.
- Star: Plabita Borthakur as Tara, with Ankur Vikal, Samidha Guru, Tvisha Seema and Krishna Gokani.
- Runtime: 78 minutes — shorter than many films’ first halves.
- Release: October 23 in cinemas.
Can 78 minutes hold without an interval?
Deo wanted Doosra to play continuously, much as he hoped Delhi Belly would. He argues that an intense 78-minute drama can easily go without a break, even though exhibitors have commercial reasons to sell popcorn during intervals. The final call, he admits, is not entirely in the filmmakers’ hands.
He points to a natural break around the midpoint, marked by a jump in the timeline, in case theatres insist on an interval. His preference remains an uninterrupted viewing.
Why viewers should care
Certification stories are usually about battles and cuts. Deo’s account is a quieter reminder that an A certificate does not have to mean a compromised film. For audiences tracking Doosra, the adult rating is best understood as a choice the team made to protect the story, not a sign that the film has been chopped down before reaching the screen.
Source: Hindustan Times
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