MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi’s upcoming film Awarapan 2 has been cleared for release by India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), but only after the makers implemented several key changes and deletions.
The film has been granted a U/A 16+ certificate, allowing viewers aged 16 and above to watch it under parental guidance. The CBFC approved the film on August 5, 2026, with a final runtime of 140 minutes and 20 seconds. It is scheduled to hit cinemas on August 14, 2026, in Hindi with English subtitles.
According to Indian media reports, the censor board directed the filmmakers to make changes at nine different points before issuing the certificate. These included trimming intense violent scenes, removing certain objectionable words from both audio and subtitles, and adding mandatory warnings related to drug use and smoking.
The board also instructed the makers to prominently display the Hindi title, include anti-drug messages at various points, and maintain anti-smoking warnings throughout the film. Additionally, a cautionary message regarding child trafficking has been incorporated.
Some action sequences were toned down, including one scene where violence was reduced by nearly 50 percent. A scene involving drug inhalation was also modified, while the end credits were re-edited to better align with the background score.
In total, around four minutes of footage was removed, while approximately 20 seconds of content was altered. Despite these changes, the overall runtime remains unchanged.
Directed by Nitin Kakkar, the film stars Emraan Hashmi alongside Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi in key roles. Awarapan 2 is the sequel to the 2007 hit Awarapan and continues its emotional tone with a darker, revenge-driven storyline.
Produced by Vishesh Bhatt, the film features music by Mithoon and lyrics by Sayeed Quadri. Popular songs from the original film, including “Toh Phir Aao” and “Tera Mera Rishta,” have been reimagined, along with several new tracks added to the sequel.
