Ahead of its digital release, Anurag Kashyap’s crime drama Kennedy has undergone several changes mandated by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The film, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone in the lead roles, is set to premiere on ZEE5 on Friday (February 20).
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the CBFC muted the abusive word 'motherf***' in both the dialogues and subtitles. References to 'Donald Trump' were altered to 'Pump Trump'.
Additionally, visuals of Dawood Ibrahim and the dialogue 'Dawood Ibrahim ne...1993 mein' were removed and replaced with 'Pakistan Don'.
The CBFC also deleted a 14-second scene featuring the degrading dialogue 'Matunga, Matunga...Pungi bajaao'. Furthermore, the makers were instructed to include an anti-smoking disclaimer in all scenes depicting smoking.
After implementing these modifications, the film was granted an A certificate on November 23, 2023. Kennedy has a runtime of 148 minutes and 54 seconds.
Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the neo-noir thriller follows Uday Shetty, played by Rahul Bhat, a former police officer believed to be dead who now lives under the alias Kennedy. Secretly operating as a hitman within Mumbai’s corrupt police system, his life becomes increasingly complicated after he meets Charlie, portrayed by Sunny Leone.
The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was later screened at the Sydney Film Festival and the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
The Free Press Journal's review of Kennedy read, "The film is supported further with lasting impressions by the supporting cast including a fabulous Shrikant Yadav, Megha Burman, Abhilash Thapliyal and Mohit Takalkar. If you overlook Kashyap’s forgivable indulgences, Kennedy is a joy-ride. This is a film, which requires multiple viewings to eventually find acceptance and semblance."
