Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee's Aiyaary delayed again

Aiyaary

Neeraj Pandey's Aiyaary is staring at yet another hurdle that may keep it away from cinema halls this Friday. The Sidharth Malhotra-Manoj Bajpayee starrer, which was initially slated for a Republic Day release and was eventually pushed to February 9, is likely to be delayed by another week owing to changes recommended by the Defence Ministry. This development comes in light of the special screening that was held for the organisation over the weekend.

Less than a week prior to its release, the Defence Ministry expressed its wish to review the film as it is set against the backdrop of Indian Army. A special screening was held on Saturday in Delhi by the Revising Committee of Ministry of I&B, which was attended by officials from Defence Ministry and members of the Central Board of Film Certification. It has been learnt that the body asked for five cuts in the drama. The last-minute changes have sent the makers back to the editing table.

Co-producer Jayantilal Gada admitted that the film, in all likelihood, wouldn't hit theatres on Friday. "There's a strong chance that Aiyaary will be postponed to February 16. The team will submit the film to the CBFC only after making the recommended changes. The overseas delivery of the film looks difficult, considering we won't have the censor certificate in time. That will, in turn, affect the India release."

While one wonders what prompted the MoD to watch the drama, a source revealed that it was a hush-hush meeting, with only the director representing the film. Gada confirmed the news stating, "There were a few modifications, which we are incorporating." If Pandey's team is unable to meet the deadline, Akshay Kumar's Pad Man will enjoy a solo release on February 9.

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