Condom Flavour, Vulgar Gesture In Varun, Pooja, Mrunal's HJTIHH Come Under Censor Scanner

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has granted the upcoming Bollywood romantic comedy Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai a U/A 16+ rating, but only after demanding an extensive list of modifications. Notably, a scene depicting condom brand has come under scanner, according to a report in Bollywood Hungama.

Following a review by the CBFC's Examining Committee, the filmmakers were ordered to implement several dialogue and visual changes before the project could secure its release. Among the demands were four specific dialogue alterations, where objectionable words had to be replaced with more appropriate terminology.

Visual Cuts and Edits

The censor board also targeted several visual elements deemed inappropriate for the certificate. The filmmakers were instructed to:

• Remove a crude, vulgar hand gesture.
• Blur a visible condom brand name and completely mute any dialogue mentioning specific product flavours.
• Truncate a shot featuring the names of English cricketers Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, capping the sequence at exactly six seconds.
• Alter specific dance sequences where the performers' undergarments were visible, achieved by zooming in closely on the women's faces and upper bodies.

Following the implementation of these directives, the official censor certificate was issued on 27 May.

Produced by Ramesh Taurani under the Tips Films banner, the star-studded ensemble features Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde, Maniesh Paul, Chunky Pandey, Jimmy Shergill, and Mouni Roy.

Advance Booking

With advance bookings launching this evening (2 June), the film's producers have introduced an enticing promotional strategy to drive opening-day footfall.

According to listings on the ticket-booking platform BookMyShow, cinema-goers can avail of a 50% discount for the film's release day on 5 June. However, certain conditions apply: the deal is strictly limited to opening day, requires a minimum purchase of two tickets, and caps the half-price discount on tickets priced up to Rs 200. Industry analysts suggest this aggressive pricing model could significantly boost opening-day box office collections by attracting larger crowds, according to another report.

A Growing Industry Trend

This marketing tactic mirrors a recent strategy employed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions for the release of Chand Mera Dil, starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya. Two weeks ago, that film offered flat-rate tickets of Rs 149 for matinee screenings before 5:00 pm, and Rs 199 for evening shows. Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai appears to be leaning into this growing industry trend, leveraging heavily discounted launch-day pricing to combat lukewarm advance sales.

The final theatrical runtime for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai stands at 136 minutes and 40 seconds (2 hours, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds).