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Khel Khel Mein, directed by Mudassar Aziz, was released on August 15. Starring Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Vaani Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Ammy Virk, Aditya Seal and Pragya Jaiswal. This film marked Khan's return to the big screen after a 14-year hiatus.
In the movie, Fardeen's character plays the role of a closeted gay man who finally comes out to his friends. However, the film’s crucial segment was edited by the UAE Media Regulatory Office. A key sequence in the climax featuring Fardeen Khan, whose character arc hinges on his sexuality was snipped as per local restrictions.
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The report stated a key sequence featuring Fardeen's character and his sexuality was deleted, as per the local restrictions. A dialogue by Khan that goes, "Meri 10 saal ki beti ki soch aapki soch se behtar hai,” was also chopped.
Reacting to this, Mudassar said that he felt 'cheated' and added that the edit has changed the narrative of Fardeen's character. Expressing disappointment, he said that it was 'disheartening' to see the scene get erased.
He added, "I felt cheated when I found out from Indian cine-goers about this. Censorship like this denies audiences the full experience of the film’s powerful message.” Mudassar said that he writes all sorts of characters and to raise topics of conversation is his professional and moral duty.
Mudassar said that it is heartbreaking to see something so relevant, and done with so much dignity, find its way out of the UAE release, "I’m thrilled at the applause that [the rest] of the world is sending my way for those very scenes," added the filmmaker.
Fardeen Khan also reacted to his scene cutting deleted and said that he hoped to contribute to a conversation that is necessary and relevant. "While edits may have been made, the intention behind the role—that of acceptance—remains unchanged, and I stand by the message’s importance," concluded Khan.
