Cinema VinesIndia’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared the DC Universe horror‑thriller Clayface for an adult audience, but not without insisting on a series of edits. The film, which is set to run for 108.31 minutes, received an ‘A’ certificate on October 19 after the makers complied with the board’s requests. The changes included the removal of 24 seconds of nudity and 19 seconds of graphic face‑smashing sequences, as well as the excision of a profanity from the subtitles and the addition of anti‑alcohol and anti‑drug messages in the lower right corner of the screen.
Specifically, the CBFC cut a five‑second nude shot and a 19‑second sequence that featured actress Joana Ribeiro in the role of Mia Torrez. To hide the nudity, the filmmakers zoomed in on another character. In addition, the board demanded that two shots of a face being smashed be trimmed: one lasting one second and the other six seconds. The subtitle line containing the word “motherf****r” was voluntarily removed by the production team.
These edits echo the earlier controversy surrounding the 2026 Hollywood film Obsession, which also received an ‘A’ certificate but was asked to cut 38 seconds of violent and sexual content. The CBFC’s insistence on censoring scenes meant for mature viewers has sparked debate over artistic freedom and the purpose of an adult rating in Indian cinema.
“Clayface” will debut in India with paid previews on October 22, followed by a full theatrical release on Friday, October 23. The film’s runtime is listed as 1 hour, 48 minutes and 31 seconds on the certificate. Whether the recent cuts will provoke a similar backlash as seen with Obsession remains to be seen, but the CBFC’s latest decision underscores its ongoing scrutiny of content deemed explicit or violent, even for adult audiences.
