October 17, 2026
Abhinay Deo’s Doosra opens in cinemas on October 23 with an A certificate – not because the CBFC forced it, but because Deo chose it. The film mixes Sourav Ganguly’s 2002 NatWest Series moment with the coming-of-age story of Tara (Plabita Borthakur) in conservative Rajasthan. At the censor screening, the board was willing to give a U/A with three cuts. Deo opted for an A and walked out with no cuts at all.
The rating bargain
The director initially asked for a U/A. The CBFC agreed, provided three scenes were removed. Deo then proposed a different trade: raise the certificate to A and keep the film unchanged. The board accepted.
- Original request: U/A with three scenes cut.
- Final arrangement: A certificate with no cuts.
- Commercial cost: under-18 audiences cannot buy tickets.
Deo described the outcome as an ‘achievement’ because, as he put it, even A-rated films are often asked to make changes.
The two-second shot that stayed
One contested scene shows Tara’s father (Ankur Vikal) catching her with an adult magazine during childhood. It includes a clear two-second shot of a nude photograph in the magazine. That shot remained intact in the final version.
Another reference involved the Babri Masjid episode. The board asked for it to be toned down or altered; Deo said he did not want to touch the film.
The CBFC has historically been strict about nudity on screen. Here, the adult certificate worked as a release valve: because the film was no longer chasing a U/A, the board allowed the frame to stay.
What this means for release strategy
An A certificate is not cost-free. It excludes under-18 viewers and changes the audience mix a theatrical release can chase. Deo said he was not worried, arguing that Doosra is relevant to teenagers but not a film for them to watch.
For producers and distributors, the case is a useful framework. Indian releases often treat certification as a fixed gate; here it became a negotiation variable. A U/A keeps teen and family admissions open, but the required cuts may weaken the film. An A preserves the creative product, but the marketing has to sell an adult-skewing story and accept a narrower base.
The opening weekend will be the first real test of that trade. Doosra releases October 23, and media planners should watch whether the uncut version’s word-of-mouth offsets the lost under-18 segment.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
