After kiss in 'Superman', CBFC cuts intimate scenes in Ahaan Pandey's 'Saiyaara', netizens demand Sandeep Reddy Vanga to become the censor board chief

Ananya Panday’s cousin, Ahaan Panday, is all set to step into the limelight with his Bollywood debut in Saiyaara, a romantic musical helmed by Mohit Suri. Starring opposite newcomer Aneet Padda, the film is slated for a theatrical release on July 18 and is being presented by Yash Raj Films.

While the musical drama has been granted a U/A certificate, it hasn’t escaped the scrutiny of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which has raised objections to certain scenes. As per a report by Bollywood Hungama, the CBFC has directed the makers to implement several changes. Four scenes featuring "objectionable" words were asked to be altered with more "appropriate" dialogue. Additionally, the board instructed the deletion and substitution of ten seconds worth of “sensual, intimate, body exposure visuals.”

The total runtime of the film now stands at 156.50 minutes — or 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 50 seconds. In another directive, the CBFC has also asked the team to insert a safety disclaimer during two-wheeler sequences, specifically highlighting helmet usage. The censor board’s actions have triggered backlash online, with netizens taking to Reddit to voice their dissatisfaction over what they see as outdated censorship.

A screenshot of the news posted on Reddit sparked a flood of reactions. One user remarked, “Sanskari censor board got no chill.” Another called out the inconsistency by noting, “The same CBFC gave Housefull 5 a U/A certificate. Hypocrisy.” There were also playful demands for Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga to take on the CBFC itself: “Vanga for CBFC chairman. Please upvote,” read a comment, while another predicted, “We will witness Sandeep Reddy Vanga vs Censor Board soon.

” Interestingly, the censorship on Saiyaara comes close on the heels of CBFC’s decision to chop a kissing scene from the Hollywood film Superman, featuring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan — a move that also attracted criticism for being overly conservative. Despite the controversy, Saiyaara is building momentum ahead of its release. Directed by Mohit Suri in his first collaboration with YRF, the film boasts a rich musical score with contributions from Mithoon, Sachet-Parampara, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Rishabh Kant, and Arslan Nizami. With advance bookings showing encouraging numbers, the film is poised for a strong opening, censorship cuts notwithstanding.