Spectre which is due to release in India on November 20 after premiering in London on October 24 has been allowed by the country’s censor board without an Adult certification, but there is a catch.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) passed the latest edition of James Bond series with a UA certification after four cuts, two of them on the grounds that there was "unnecessary" kissing between Daniel Craig and his co-stars.
Quoting a source, DNA said "Both of Daniel Craig’s kisses with his co-stars have been reduced by 50 per cent. The censor board had nothing against James Bond kissing. But the length of the kisses were found to be unnecessarily excessive...We wonder how the Censor Board decides how much kissing is enough."
Other modifications forced by the body were to censor verbal obscenities.
This comes two days after CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani uploaded a video tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which, as NDTV puts it, "made news for all the wrong reasons. Among them is the fact that it borrows foreign visuals to illustrate how "Mera Desh hai Mahaan (my country is great)".
A day later, Nihalani claimed that he was all set to make a documentary film to expose FTII students, as "anti-nationals".
As a reaction to the latest move by the CBFC, users took to Twitter and started trending #SanskariJamesBond. Here are some of the best responses we found:
Censor board to cut kissing scenes? Hate Story 3 will be released in MP3 format.
— Anurag Verma (@kitAnurag) November 18, 2015 Clearly the Censor Board missed PM Modi's joke about James Bond, Brooke Bond and Rupee Bond. Thought he said James Banned...
— ranjona banerji (@ranjona) November 18, 2015 Had Monica Bellucci looked like a cow, the Censor Board would have been okay with Bond's kissing scene. Hamara bad luck hi kharab hai.
— Ray Ban (@Purba_Ray) November 18, 2015 #SanskariJamesBond the spy who loved Modi! https://t.co/GiTco7quDj
— swati chaturvedi (@bainjal) November 18, 2015 Censor Board is cutting out long kissing scenes. Even those of the flowers. Now, a short kiss and the next scene will show the baby.
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) November 18, 2015 James Bond ~ Dry Martini #SanskariJamesBond ~ Dahi with chini
— Mr. Tippler (@MrTippler) November 18, 2015 Censor Board is clear. Make in India? Good good. Make out in India? NEVER.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) November 18, 2015 James Bond's women must be feeling so safe now that our Censor Board is there to protect their izzat & aabroo from that creep.
— Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) November 18, 2015 No one knows women better than our Censor Board. They know for exactly how long James Bond has to kiss Monica Bellucci to satisfy her.
— Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) November 18, 2015 While non-sanskari James Bond smokes Cuban Cigars. Our #SanskariJamesBond smokes Cycle Pure Agarbatti.
— Sam (@SoGe89) November 18, 2015 #SanskariJamesBond The name is Bond... James Bond... Sanskari James Bond
— Shaitaan Khopdi™ (@shaitaankhopdi) November 18, 2015