Sanskari Superman? CBFC deletes David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan's kiss for India release; objected to 'sensual visual'

A kiss scene featuring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in James Gunn's Superman has been cut by the CBFC for the film's release in India.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2025, 13:04:50 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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James Gunn's Superman has released in India, along with the rest of the world, this Friday (July 11). The 2-hour film is Gunn's reboot of the DC Universe with a brand new face as Superman - David Corenswet. But even as India sees the film's release at the same time as the rest of the world, the viewers in the country will not be watching the same version. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has made several cuts in the film, including a 33-second kiss between the leads, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan.

A kiss scene featuring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in Superman has been cut by the CBFC.

CBFC cuts kiss scene from Superman

The version of Superman released in India mutes several curse words throughout the film and removes two visuals of kisses between the two leads. One takes place early on in the film when the two characters share screen for the first time. But it is the second deletion that is more jarring. A shot that was seen in the trailer—of Superman and Lois kissing while floating in the air—has been cut almost entirely.

A Bollywood Hungama report claimed that CBFC members asked for the removal of the 'sensual visual' from the film. The 33-second sequence was reduced to just a few seconds. At the film's early screening on July 9, two days before release, viewers said that the cut felt jarring. "It felt odd because the cut was very apparent," a viewer told HT. Another added, "It's odd that they kept the violent fights but deleted a kiss scene." The CBFC also deleted an eight-second shot involving a 'foul gesture' from the film.

History of censorship of Hollywood films in India

These cuts come immediately after the CBFC came under heavy fire for modifying a middle finger emoji in Brad Pitt-starrer F1 to a fist emoji, completely changing its meaning. The debate on censorship in India, particularly for Hollywood films, has raged on for years. Many American films have had to make extra cuts to tailor to CBFC's needs for an Indian release.

All about James Gunn's Superman

Superman, directed by James Gunn, stars David Corenswet in the titular role, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. The film, first in Gunn's new DC Universe, has received praise from critics worldwide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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