Shootouts, mid-air clashes and car chases, Indian audiences can see it all but are missing out on any part of Kashmir unlike the rest of the world in ‘Mission Impossible: Fallout’ - the sixth and the latest instalment in the action franchise.
While most of the sequence remains untouched, the Indian release of the Tom Cruise action film, however, has at least four edits to ensure the viewers never learn about the location of the scenes ‘pretended’ to be shot in Kashmir -- but were in reality shot in New Zealand, because permission to film was denied.
“We couldn’t shoot the aerial sequence (helicopter chase sequence) in India. It was a little too crazy. So, we ended up in New Zealand. But I scouted India extensively and I would love to come to India and shoot a film”, Director Christopher McQuarrie had earlier told IANS.
A scene from the film 'Mission Impossible: Fallout'. Source: AAP
But here's why Indian viewers can never hear or see the word Kashmir in the film:
Its emerged that India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) asked the film’s makers to “remove or rectify” a location title identifying one of the shoot locations as “India-controlled Kashmir” and to also get rid of the map that the board claimed “misrepresented” the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir state.
“Integrity of our country’s borders are non-negotiable and cannot be compromised on for the sake of entertainment”, CBFC chief, Prasoon Joshi told PTI.
A picture of the CBFC certificate enlisting the modifications made by the film's makers Source: Twitter
In one of its other conditions, the board also asked the makers to put in a disclaimer of fiction in the film.
However, certain other references to Indian locations such as Nubra valley and Siachen Glacier were allowed to remain in the film.
But despite the jarring cuts, the action-thriller is raining profits at the Indian box office.
According to Box Office India, the film raked in nearly $11.2 on its opening day and weekend, outperforming all the previous Cruise ‘Missions’ in the country.
