Like most controversies, this one too seems to have worked in favour of the filmmakers.
Punjabi film 'Sadda Haq' that had been banned in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Chandigarh a day ahead of its earlier scheduled release April 5 has finally got approval for a nationwide release.
But this time, it hits the screens with double the prints and multiple times the hype.
Released in select countries abroad, following the ban, the film, says producer Dinesh Sood, has already done a business of Rs 10 crore. Made with a modest budget of Rs 3 crore, the film was primarily shot in Punjab.
As the film releases in India on May 10, it does so with more t
han 80 prints, double the number planned for its earlier release.
“A large number of theatres are approaching us to screen the film. The response is huge,” Sood says.
The film will open in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, UP, Chandigarh, Delhi, and in select theatres in Mumbai, Nagpur and Indore.
This was shared by Sood who, along with the film's lead actor and co-producer Kuljinder Sidhu, paid a visit to Ludhiana on Wednesday.
The lifting of the ban has come about after the Supreme Court gave the film a go ahead in April end. A four-member committee that watched the film dismissed the apprehension of governments in Punjab and Delhi that the film, that allegedly glorifies extremism, can spur violence.
{{/usCountry}}The lifting of the ban has come about after the Supreme Court gave the film a go ahead in April end. A four-member committee that watched the film dismissed the apprehension of governments in Punjab and Delhi that the film, that allegedly glorifies extremism, can spur violence.
{{/usCountry}}“We struggled for years and, as it seems, for no reason,” said Sood.
However, the film that was earlier certified as 'U' by the censor board has now been given an 'A' certification.
As announced earlier, Sood added that the film is being dubbed in English and Hindi. “Work will complete in a matter of a month. The versions will then be available as DVDs,” he said.