The past weekend was clearly dominated by Obsession. The supernatural psychological Hollywood flick released in Indian cinemas on the evening of Thursday, May 28, and became a sensation due to its chilling subject, treatment and award-winning performances. Until last week, it was expected to be just another niche Hollywood film that would hopefully do a lifetime business of Rs. 4-5 crores at best. However, its weekend collections stand at around Rs. 8-8.50 crores and the trending is extraordinary. However, the business could have been slightly better had the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) not asked for cuts in two crucial scenes.
On Thursday, May 28, Bollywood Hungama reported that the CBFC reduced a scene of extreme violence by 24 seconds in the second half, while a 14-second-long scene of graphic sexual activity was asked to be deleted. The shots that were censored were crucial to the narrative. Without them, the impact has slightly reduced, and as a result, Twitter and Instagram is exploding with posts and videos about people venting out their anger towards CBFC.
The biggest grouse that people have is that Obsession is an ‘A’-rated film. Hence, they feel that the CBFC should ideally not insist on cuts in a film which, in any case, is meant strictly for viewers above the age of 18. Moreover, we are living in the era of films like Animal (2023), Dhurandhar (2025) and several streaming shows where graphic violence has been consumed widely by adult audiences. Bloodshed and brutality, within a certain context, no longer shock viewers the way they once did. Keeping this in mind, the violent scene in Obsession could have been left untouched, especially if it was crucial to the film’s impact.
As for the lovemaking scene, it was not inserted merely for titillation. It forms an important part of the story and the character arc. Unfortunately, in this case, the relevance of the scene seems to have been overlooked by the CBFC.
One may argue that lovemaking scenes have often faced the censor’s scissors in our country. However, there have also been instances where the CBFC has taken a more progressive stand and understood the context of such scenes. In Rang Rasiya (2014) and All We Imagine As Light (2024), frontal nudity was allowed because it was integral to the story and not included merely for sensational value.
Sadly, Rang Rasiya and All We Imagine As Light are exceptions, and what happened to Obsession is the norm. Over the weekend, rumours spread that Obsession would drop on OTT on June 2 and that it would be an uncut version. So, netizens were seen advising that one should skip seeing Obsession in cinemas. Bollywood Hungama debunked the rumour and also stated that Obsession’s OTT version in India will be the same one that was played in cinemas. Hence, one should not expect an uncensored version of the film on the internet. Shockingly and unfortunately, several netizens reacted to our story, citing that they’ll simply download a pirated version of Obsession.
The version that may circulate on Telegram channels and torrent websites will obviously be illegal, but at the same time, it is likely to be free of cuts. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that Obsession could have done even better at the Indian box office had it not been for the censor cuts. There is little doubt that a small but crucial section of the audience may avoid watching the film in cinemas because of the censor issue. Instead, they might prefer to wait a few weeks and access the pirated, uncut version.
The CBFC needs to take note of the outpouring of anger and the casual justification of piracy around Obsession. By insisting on reckless cuts, it is not only hurting the moviegoing experience but also damaging the larger film ecosystem and, ultimately, the economy. Those who illegally watch Obsession at home will not be buying a cinema ticket, which also means the government loses out on the GST that would have been earned from that ticket purchase.
Despite the anger over the cuts, thankfully, the film has done remarkably well. The FOMO factor seems to have worked; there is so much curiosity around Obsession that audiences couldn’t resist watching it on the big screen. But tomorrow, another acclaimed yet badly censored film may not be that lucky. It might get royally ignored in cinemas and instead be lapped up on pirated platforms, thanks to the cuts. Hence, one hopes the CBFC understands these grievances and takes corrective steps.
More Pages: Obsession (English) Box Office Collection
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