Anurag Kashyap's 'Bandar' Hits Theatres After Edits
Overview of 'Bandar'
Following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, Anurag Kashyap's film Bandar, featuring Bobby Deol, was released in cinemas on June 5. This prison drama made its way to theaters after undergoing numerous edits as per the directives of the Central Board of Film Certification. A widely circulated image of the certification reveals that several profanities and scenes were removed to obtain a theatrical release. The filmmakers were instructed to implement 19 changes, including providing documentary proof that the film is based on real events.
Modifications for Certification Approval
Bandar undergoes modifications for Central Board of Film Certification's go-ahead
The CBFC's certificate indicated that the filmmakers needed to substitute various curse words such as "Saale", "Banjo", "Chutiye", and others with milder alternatives like "Jhant ke baal", "Saaman", and "Moron". Additionally, terms like 'Bastard' were to be omitted, and phrases such as "Aicha Gavat" and "Goddamit" were also replaced. After receiving the necessary clearance from the CBFC, the final runtime of Bandar was set at 136.27 minutes.
Plot Summary of 'Bandar'
All you need to know about Bandar
In Bandar, Bobby Deol portrays Samar Mehra, an actor striving to maintain his relevance in the eyes of his fans. Living alone in Mumbai, the 50-year-old is in a relationship with Khushi (Saba Azad). However, he finds himself in trouble when he is accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi), an Indian spiritual healer based in London. Their connection began on a dating app, where he claims to have accidentally shown interest in her profile, despite not genuinely wanting a relationship. Samar ends up in police custody, prompting his sister Suhani (Sanya Malhotra) and their lawyer to tirelessly work to secure his release.
Internationally, the film is titled Monkey in a Cage and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025. The earlier version of the film had a runtime of 140 minutes. Written by Kashyap and Sudip Sharma, Bandar also features Indrajith Sukumaran, Raj B. Shetty, and Jitendra Joshi. At the Indian box office, it faced competition from Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Peddi and Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde’s Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.