With less than a week until its release, Sitaare Zameen Par is making headlines due to its subject matter, Aamir Khan’s star power, an extensive promotional campaign, and his decision not to sell the film to any OTT platform. The film has been submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and as per Bollywood Hungama, it is being learned that a few cuts have been requested.
However, Aamir Khan, who is also the film’s producer, has disagreed with these cuts.
A source informed Bollywood Hungama, “The CBFC has requested two cuts. Aamir Khan believes the film should be approved without them. He and director R S Prasanna have crafted the film with great care, and certain scenes and dialogues are appropriate when considered in context.” The source, however, did not disclose the specific cuts requested by the CBFC.
The source continued, “Since Aamir Khan is not accepting the cuts, the censor certificate has not yet been issued for Sitaare Zameen Par. Aamir plans to meet with the CBFC Examining Committee again on Monday to present his perspective. We hope a resolution will be reached, allowing the film to be cleared by June 16. Once that happens, advance ticket sales can begin, as cinemas are unable to sell tickets without a censor certificate.”
Interestingly, Sitaare Zameen Par has already received approval from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), with a 12A certificate. The BBFC’s website notes that the film includes “discrimination and moderate sex references” and has a runtime of 2 hours and 35 minutes.
The film also stars Genelia Deshmukh and is set to release in theaters worldwide on June 20. Initially, the plan was to adopt a strategic release approach, starting with a limited number of shows and gradually increasing screenings based on word-of-mouth. However, reports indicate that the film will now be released in 3,000 to 3,500 screens at the request of the exhibition sector.
