The CBFC has cleared Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s Param Sundari with a U/A 13+ certificate. The decision has raised interest, not for the rating itself, but for what remained untouched.
At a time when intimate scenes in big films like Saiyara and War 2 faced edits, the board’s move to allow the song Bheegi Saari without cuts stands out. It reflects a selective and inconsistent approach to censorship.
The changes focus mostly on dialogue. Visuals stayed intact, but words were muted or replaced. Subtitles swapped “bastard” for “idiot”, while terms like bloody, church, and father were muted. These choices highlight the CBFC’s moral lens more than audience protection.
A traditional-style end credits song was approved, suggesting balance. Still, the CBFC’s strictness on language contrasts with its leniency on bold visuals. For a rom-com built on youth appeal and star power, keeping steamy scenes intact could prove commercially beneficial.
Glamour-driven songs already form part of the marketing, and the ruling only boosts that appeal. Yet the muted words, many hardly offensive today, create a patchwork effect. It exposes the inconsistencies of censorship more than the film’s own content.
At 136 minutes, Param Sundari hits screens on 29 August with a certificate that tries to look liberal but still shows the CBFC’s reluctance to trust adult viewers with unfiltered dialogue.
