Jun 19, 2025 12:52 AM IST
According to the board’s directions, the PM’s quote was added after the altered opening disclaimer of the film, though its exact context remains unclear.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directed the makers of Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par to make five changes/suggestions to the film, among which was the addition of a quote by Prime Minister Narendra Modi referencing the year 2047 in the opening disclaimer, according to documents seen by HT.
The film was issued a U/A certification on June 17 — a copy of which HT has seen — which confirms the modifications made. This certification means that the film can be viewed by all age groups, but parental discretion is advised for children under the age of 13.
The PM’s quote has been inserted after the film’s opening disclaimer, which has also been altered, according to the board’s directions. It was not immediately clear what the quote is about.
The film, directed by RS Prasanna, stars Khan and Genelia Deshmukh in lead roles. It is set to release on June 20 and is a remake of the 2018 Spanish film Champions, which portrayed the story of a basketball coach who teaches the sport to a team of intellectually disabled people as part of court-mandated community service.
The film was examined by a nine-member revising committee led by prominent theatre director Waman Kendre. According to CBFC’s website, a revising committee is set up after the CBFC chairperson, either on their own or at the request of the filmmaker, decides that a film needs to be reviewed following its initial screening by the examining committee — a smaller panel tasked with viewing the film in its original form and recommending a certificate or suggesting edits.
Kendre refused to comment on the matter when contacted while CBFC chairperson Rajendra Singh did not respond to the queries. The final clearance certificate says that the “excisions and modifications imposed by the board have actually been carried out” by the producer Aamir Khan Films LLP.
Among the other changes mandated by CBFC were the replacement of the term “business woman” with “business person”; a 30-second disclaimer at the beginning of the film be replaced with a 26-second voice-over; a visual containing the word “kamal” (lotus) be removed, along with its appearance in subtitles; and “Michael Jackson” be replaced with “Lovebirds” in the subtitles. The makers of the film have complied with all suggestions, as per the certificate,and the final runtime of Sitaare Zameen Par stands at 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 43 seconds.
