Censor Board arrests: Will Darshan’s Kaatera release plans be affected?

Challenging Star Darshan’s Kaatera is only three weeks away from its date with audiences, but if the current situation at the regional CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) office in Bengaluru is not sorted soon enough, the film may not be able to make its December 29 theatrical outing. At the moment, the Bengaluru censor board office does not have designated officials to certify films, after three of them were arrested in a case of bribery.

Several films that had been watched by said officers and were waiting for certification are currently caught in this quagmire, while the list of movies waiting for clearance before December 31 stands at around 130. Kaatera, we hear, is yet to be censored, so we checked in with director Tharun Kishore Sudhir if the film’s release date will be affected. Will they look at approaching the censor board in Hyderabad or Chennai as an emergency measure? “We will know for sure what our strategy will be in a couple of days,” Tharun texted us, adding that he’s been travelling and will have a clear picture early next week.

Kaatera update: THIS is when the trailer of Darshan’s period film will drop 

Kaatera is Darshan’s most awaited film of the year – one that his fans are quite hopeful of in terms of box office success. The actor’s Kranti, which came out in January, had not clicked, so there is a lot riding on Tharun’s period film, which introduces veteran actress Malashree’s daughter Aradhanaa as leading lady. Netizens have not been kind towards this pairing, citing that Aradhanaa was too young for Darshan, a sentiment that cropped up yet again after the first single, Pasandaagavne, came out. The film, which has Sudhakar as cinematographer and Harikrishna in the music composer’s chair, is said to be based on a real incident that occurred in the 70s and will have Darshan in a never-before-seen avatar.