'Omerta' release postponed after censor hurdle over national anthem
Mumbai, April 19: Hansal Mehta’s gritty, raw, brutal and disturbing "Omerta", the film about the global terror activities of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, has finally been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification with an 'A' certificate.
Mehta, who has in the past fought many brave battles with the censor board, was ready for a long grim fight to ensure nothing was tampered with in "Omerta". In an earlier interview, he had said he would not allow even a single cut.
However, only one major cut has been ordered. It is the sequence where Sheikh, essayed by actor Rajkummar Rao, is seen urinating in prison while the Indian national anthem plays outside.
The censor board has asked for the national anthem to be removed from this offensive scene.
"Omerta" producer Furquan Khan said: "We've been asked to remove the national anthem from that sequence and replace it with routine background music. We happily complied and walked away with an ‘A' certificate which the film deserves."
The film, which was scheduled to release on Friday, is now being readied for a May 4 release when it will rub shoulders with Umesh Shukla's Amitabh Bachchan-Rishi Kapoor father-son comedy "102 Not Out".
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Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ after energy site strike
Qatar warns residents of ‘Elavated’ threat
Tehran/Doha: Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian has warned that attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to “uncontrollable consequences” affecting the entire world.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he “strongly condemns” the strikes that targeted the South Pars gasfield earlier in the day.
“Such aggressive actions will not achieve anything for the American Zionist enemy and their supporters. Rather, they will complicate the situation and could lead to uncontrollable consequences that will affect the entire world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents to remain indoors due to what it described as an elevated security threat.
Authorities have not provided further details, but the advisory comes amid growing concerns over the safety of energy infrastructure and civilian areas in the region.
