Mumbai: Neeraj Pandey’s Aiyaary has finally got the censor board certification for 16 February release. After viewing the film, the CBFC asked for it to be screened for officials of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which asked for multiple changes. It was only after these were incorporated that the film was granted with a ‘U/A’ certificate.
The censors insisted on the MoD seeing the espionage thriller not because Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee play army officers in it but because the film, which tackles corruption, also rakes up the Adarsh Housing scam.
Neeraj Pandey took to Twitter to thank the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Ministry of Defense for clearing his upcoming film, Aiyaary, for a 16 February release.
Finally… this just arrived. All cleared for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 now! Thank you #CBFCIndia. Thank you MOD. See you on Feb 16 in cinemas near you! @S1dharthM @BajpayeeManoj @Rakulpreet @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @aiyaary @adgpi @PenMovies @currentshah pic.twitter.com/TdHIFjQHJZ
— Neeraj Pandey (@neerajpofficial) February 6, 2018
The Adarsh Housing Society is a posh, 31-storey building constructed on a prime real estate in Colaba, Mumbai, for the welfare of war widows and personnel of India’s Ministry of Defence.
The scam was unearthed in November 2010 which forced the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan to resign.
In January 2011, the Maharashtra government set up a two-member judicial commission to inquire into the matter. The commission was headed by retired High Court judge Justice JA Patil, with NN Kumbhar acting as member secretary. After deposing 182 witnesses over 2 years, the commission submitted its final report in April 2013 to the Maharashtra government.
In Aiyaary, there are references to Sidharth and Pooja Chopra’s characters to a plot in Mumbai’s Colaba. Even Naseeruddin Shah who plays a watchman, alludes to this particular plot, saying that the building being constructed was meant for the widows of martyred soldiers. “Kha jayenge, neta aur neta ke chamche,” his character sighs, alluding to the Adarsh scam.
The film portrays Sidharth as an army officer sharing a mentor-protege bond with Manoj. Aiyaary also stars Rakul Preet Singh, Pooja Chopra in pivotal roles.
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