The Maatr trailer makeover

The Censor Board played spoilsport again. The trailer of Maatr, a film that speaks out against rape and violence against women had to be re-cut as the Board wanted a few cuts and suggested an ‘A’ (Adults only) rating.

Producer Anjum Rizvi says, “Unless you show such scenes, how do you convey to the audience what the film is all about? Without these scenes, the film looks flat. CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) guidelines state that violence and blood cannot be shown in trailers seeking a ‘U’ or ‘UA’ rating. If insisted upon, it will get an ‘A’ certificate. We wanted to release the trailer in the coming week, so we had to cut some shots, redo it and finally, we got an U/A.”

Reiterating that his isn’t a tacky film, he states, “There are certain shots of women being slapped along with other scenes of violence that had to be let go of. I want to say that we are talking about women empowerment and violence against women and to what extent a woman can go to safeguard her modesty.”