The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reportedly reduced the duration of Allu Arjun starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule, which was released worldwide on Thursday, December 5.
The Saudi Arabian Censor Board has removed the 19-minute Jathara scene for its depiction of Hindu deities.
Along with this, many other cuts and dialogues have also been censored. The final run time of the film is around 3 hours and 1 minute.
“Saudi Arabia censor board trims Jathara episode and allows the release after multiple cuts with a final runtime of 3 hour 1 min,” film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan wrote in a post on X.
Reports reveal that the officials objected to the scene where Allu Arjun, portraying the hero, is dressed as a goddess and the film’s extensive references to Hindu deities.
Besides Allu Arjun, the film stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, both of whom have delivered outstanding performances in the film.
In India, Pushpa 2 has been met with enthusiastic audience response, leading to overflowing theatres with houseful shows.
The film was released on Wednesday, December 4 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana due to its high fan following and audience hype.
In October, Saudi Arabia banned Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 for references to Indian gods and LGBTQ themes.
