Trump's biopic 'The Apprentice' faces CBFC cuts; India release uncertain
What's the story
The Hollywood film The Apprentice, based on the early life of controversial US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, may not be released in India on time.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has asked for certain cuts from the movie, which the filmmakers have refused to do. This could reportedly delay the film's release date of Friday (October 18) to next week.
A special screening was held in Mumbai on Wednesday for select viewers where this was revealed.
Special screening
Uncut version of 'The Apprentice' screened amid controversy
Despite the ongoing dispute, an uncut and uncensored version of The Apprentice was screened at a special event in Mumbai, reported Bollywood Hungama.
Starring Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn (Trump's former attorney), the film delves into Trump's rise in the real estate industry and his relationship with his lawyer.
Directed by Ali Abbasi, it premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
Censorship details
CBFC likely requested the removal of explicit scenes
Reportedly, CBFC asked for the explicit sex scenes to be removed from The Apprentice. However, some of these are crucial to the film's plot.
Among the contentious scenes is a depiction of Trump "violently throwing" Ivana Trump (Trump's former wife) and then proceeding to assault her sexually.
It remains to be seen if the filmmakers and CBFC can come to an agreement on these cuts.
If they reach a consensus soon, the film can still hit the screens on Friday.