Milap Zaveri

Bollywood Hungama was the first one to inform readers, on November 16, that Satyameva Jayate 2 has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a U/A certificate and zero cuts. The censor certificate was handed over to the makers on November 12 and the duration of the film, as mentioned on the certificate, was 138 minutes, that is, 2 hours and 18 minutes.A day after this story was published, on November 17, the makers were back at the CBFC office. This is because they added a sequence in the film and wanted to get CBFCs approval for the same. The scene in question is of a Muslim lady who asks for her cheque from a rude officer at the EPFO office. The officer berates her and tosses the Holy Quran from her into the air. At this point, Jai Balram Azaad (John Abraham), a cop, arrives at the scene. He catches the holy book respectfully and he tells the corrupt officer to give her the cheque within 20 minutes before she finishes her namaz. The makers then raise laughs as the officer races against time despite opposition from the slow-moving bureaucratic attitude of the staff and hands her the cheque before the stipulated time.When Bollywood Hungama asked writer-director Milap Zaveri as to why such an excellent and clap worthy scene was removed from the film, he revealed, Part 1 had a scene where a boy is being tortured inside the police station and the mother prays namaz outside. John arrives and saves the boy. It was a scene that resonated big time with the mass audiences at that time. I still remember the whistles and claps in the theatres. So, I constructed a similar kind of scene for Satyameva Jayate 2. But when everyone in our team saw the film, they felt that we could do away with the scene as theres already enough masala in the film. And the entry scene of Jai itself was so heroic. I agreed and decided to remove it.When asked why they had a change of mind, Milap Zaveri confessed, But then I saw the Ganpati Bappa scene in Sooryavanshi and I went absolutely bonkers. Thats when I told John Abraham and the makers that a scene that preaches communal harmony should be there in the film. I also reminded them about the reaction that the Sooryavanshi scene generated. People have loved it as it gives such a positive message. The said scene in Satyameva Jayate 2 is also on similar lines. Hence, I requested them to add this sequence in the film.The Sooryavanshi scene in question comes in the second half when cops are trying to evacuate the busy Minar Chowk, comprising a temple and mosque, due to a bomb scare. The priests in the temple start lifting the idol of Lord Ganesha so that it can be kept in a safe place. The devotees at the mosque realize that the priests alone wont be able to lift the idol. Hence, they come to their rescue. The director Rohit Shetty beautifully shows the Muslims removing their footwear outside the temple and then helping the priests. Some people then get a handcart and the idol is then safely put on it. All this while, the song 'Chodo Kal Ki Baatein' is played and it seems just apt for the situation.This scene in the film got the maximum claps and whistles across the country, as per exhibitors and trade. It remains to be seen whether the Satyameva Jayate 2 scene also receives a similar kind of reception.After the scene was added, the duration of Satyameva Jayate 2 is now 141 minutes, that is, 2 hours 21 minutes.