Knew 'Omerta' wouldn't be cakewalk with censor board: Hansal Mehta

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta, whose "Omerta" will now release on May 4, says he knew getting through the censor board would not have been a cakewalk with the film which is inspired by the life of a real-life terrorist.

Shot in London and India, the Rajkummar Rao-starrer is woven around some terror attacks in recent history, including the 9/11 attacks, the Mumbai terror strike and the brutal beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

The film was to release on Friday, but is has now been shifted ahead.

"We knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk with the censor board given that the film has a fair bit of violence and strong language. We didn't want cuts that would take away the essence of the film, so we had to wait," Mehta said in a statement.

"The censor board chief and members of the revising committee understood how certain scenes could not be removed since they are essential for audiences to understand how a terrorist's mind works. Hence the wait and that's why a decision has been taken to release 'Omerta' on May 4," he added.

Nahid Khan, the film's producer, said the slight delay in the release date is not that bad as the essence of the film is intact.

"The team was waiting for the Central Board of Film Certification's clearance for the film. We know audiences are eagerly awaiting the film's release. It's just a small change of two weeks. We don't mind the delay as long as we have managed to keep the essence of the film intact," said Khan.

--IANS

ks/rb/hs