In what’s becoming a depressingly familiar headline, Bollywood Hungama is reporting that India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has once again stepped in with scissors sharpened, slicing 41 seconds from James Gunn’s “Superman.”
The offending content? Two kiss scenes between Superman and Lois Lane, and a brief shot of Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner (one of the Green Lanterns) flipping the bird mid-battle using his power ring. According to Bollywood Hungama, the latter was deemed an “obscene gesture” and clipped accordingly. The kiss scenes were reportedly too “sensual” for Indian audiences, per the CBFC.
The absurdity of censoring two kiss scenes in a “Superman” movie feels like satire. We’re talking about a character who can fly through space, shoot lasers from his eyes, and punch holes in reality, but apparently the CBFC doesn’t want Indian men all excited leaving the theater.
Despite the censorship, “Superman” managed to top the Indian box office, posting the largest opening weekend ever for a DC film in the country. Warner Bros. India confirmed the milestone on social media, as the film plays in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
India’s strict censorship policies aren’t exactly news. Apple’s upcoming racing film “F1” starring Brad Pitt was self-censored prior to submission, preemptively swapping out a middle finger emoji for a fist bump in one sequence. The CBFC clearly doesn’t like middle fingers.
The CBFC’s cuts once again raise the question: In an increasingly global film culture, how much longer can local censorship boards try to reshape billion-dollar studio films for domestic sensibilities without eroding the art—or worse, the audience’s connection to it?
In India, at least, Superman might be faster than a speeding bullet. But he still can’t outrun the censors, or give them the middle finger.