'Uri: The Surgical Strike' to 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' - Bollywood films which made headlines for controversial dialogues in 2019

Bollywood films more often than not face controversy. Be it the casting, plot, release date or dialogues –movies are hitting headlines more for controversies rather than its content. 2019 also saw a few films starting off on a wrong foot with fans, the CBFC or the audience at large. While ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ catapulted Vicky Kaushal’s career, makers of the film had quietly deleted a dialogue from the film. On the other hand period drama ‘Panipat’ is facing opposition from Peshwa Bajirao’s descendants before its release. Here’s taking a look at all the films which released this year and faced censor cuts.

Vicky Kaushal starrer ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ gave the audience goosebumps when it hit the screens earlier this year. It was a massive critical and commercial success, also earning Vicky his first ever Nation Award. However before the film made it to theatres, it made headlines because of a specific dialogue in the trailer. ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ featured Vicky saying, “Apni 72 hooron ko hamara salaam bolna! Kehna daawat par intezar karein, aaj bahut saare mehmaan bhejne wale hain. (Convey our greetings to the 72 virgins! Tell them to wait for the feast, we are going to send a lot of guests)". While there was no public opposition over the dialogue, the makers quietly chopped it from the trailer.

Days before its release ‘Panipat’ faced opposition for a specific dialogue from the trailer. In a scene featuring Arjun Kapoor as Sadashiv Rao and Kriti Sanon as his wife Parvatibai, Kriti tells her husband, “Maine suna hai Peshwa jab akele muhim par jaate hain to ek Mastani ke saath laut te hain (I have heard whenever Peshwa goes to battle alone, he returns with a Mastani).” According to reports an eighth-descendant of the Peshwa sent notices to producers Sunita Gowarikar and Rohit Shelatkar and director Ashutosh Gowariker to remove the controversial dialogue from the film.

When the trailer of ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ was launched it doled out a lot of laughs and gags, but soon netizens started pointed out a dialogue by Kartik Aaryan which made a funny reference to marital rape. While the trailer faced flak the makers decided to do away with the controversial dialogue. Speaking to PTI Karitk said, “When the trailer came, we realised that we shouldn't hurt anyone and should remove it immediately. Usually this doesn't happen in films. We took responsibility because it might have come across as something that wasn't our intention. We realised we shouldn't use that word (rape) at all so we have rectified it and made changes because we don't want to hurt people's sentiments."

Arjun Kapoor starrer thriller ‘India’s Most Wanted’ faced objection from the Censor Board of Film Certification for a specific dialogue which made references to religious books the Bhagavad Gita and the Holy Qura. Speaking to IANS director Raj Kumar Gupta had stated, “It (the reference to the Quran) was there in the film and it was in the film's teaser when it came for the first time. I don't know if it's unfair but we respect all religions, so we have to look at the sensitivity factor of it. That is why when the request came, we decided to remove it. Although it was there in the teaser, so the motivation was because it was allowed in the teaser, it would be allowed in the film. But because it was sensitive in nature and they requested us, we submitted the film without the Gita and Quran mention."

Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer ‘Thackeray’ released in January this year and was based on the founder of Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray. According to reports, Central Board of Film Certification had objected a dialogue of 'Yandu Gundu', used to refer to the South Indian community staying in Mumbai, from the trailer. The movie released on January 25, on the birth anniversary of Balasaheb Thackeray.