Brouhaha ends; Abhishek Jawkar’s Missing on a Weekend releases on Aug 26

When crime thriller Missing on a Weekend went up for certification, it received a contentious response from CBFC. The movie is about a group of friends on a weekend getaway to Goa who go missing in the backdrop of a deteriorating crime rate. Initially the CBFC had given a verbal diktat for 50 cuts which comprised scenes of drug consumption and use of expletives in some dialogues. One of the rationales for so many cuts was also the fear of portraying Goa in a negative light and how this would impact tourism in the state.

However, Abhishek Jawkar, the director did not concur with the CBFC and waited patiently for the certificate. Not having received any, he sent them a legal notice. The CBFC came down a few notches, issued the certificate but still recommended 7 cuts instead of the original 50. Unwilling to compromise, Jawkar refused to accept the decision and sent the film to the revising committee.

After many rounds of discussions and arguments, the film has now finally been passed with no cuts at all and only 3 mutes. “The CBFC has asked us to mute the word “Harami” in three scenes, which is acceptable. The fight has been long and it was worth the wait. It’s indeed a eureka moment for us! “ concludes Abhishek.

Missing on a Weekend is directed by Abhishek Jawkar and produced by The Red Bulb Studios and Adept Films. It also marks the launch of legendary singer Padamashree Hariharan’s younger son Karan Hariharan.

The movie releases on August 26, 2016.