Cinema VinesEmraan Hashmi’s long‑awaited sequel, Awarapan 2, has finally cleared the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), but only after the makers trimmed several scenes and added health warnings. The film, which is a follow‑up to the 2007 hit, received a U/A 16+ certificate on August 5, following a series of edits demanded by the board.
According to reports from Bollywood Hungama, the CBFC’s examining committee required the removal of three violent sequences and a drug‑snorting shot. In addition, the board asked for the inclusion of anti‑drug static messages and the mandatory anti‑smoking disclaimer whenever drugs were depicted. Offensive language was edited out from both the audio track and subtitles, and one violent scene in the latter half of the movie was cut to roughly half its original length. The total amount of content removed or replaced amounts to about four minutes and twenty seconds.
After the changes were made, the film’s runtime was adjusted to 2 hours, 20 minutes and 20 seconds (140 minutes and 20 seconds). The U/A 16+ rating allows viewers aged 16 and above to watch the film with parental guidance. The certification was granted on August 5, and the trailer was released the following day, with the movie slated to hit theatres on August 14, 2026.
Hashmi, who reprises his role as Shivam Pandit, is joined by Disha Patani and veteran actress Shabana Azmi. The film is directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Bhatt. In a recent livestream, Hashmi clarified that the original 2007 film will return to cinemas as a prequel, not a re‑release in July as earlier reports suggested. He added that the re‑release will happen after Awarapan 2 and that exact dates will be announced soon.
Notably, Awarapan 2 is the only major Hindi release this month to receive a U/A 16+ certificate instead of an Adults‑Only rating. It will compete at the box office with Sunny Deol’s film, also titled Awarapan 2, which carries an A certificate.
