James Gunn’s Superman hit Indian theatres on July 11, marking a fresh reboot of the DC Universe and introducing David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel. But controversy erupted soon after, as fans noticed two kissing scenes featuring Superman and Lois Lane — played by Rachel Brosnahan — had been censored by India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
According to reports, the CBFC removed around 33 seconds from the film, including key moments of intimacy. One of the censored scenes reportedly took place early in the film during Superman and Lois’s first interaction, while another – prominently featured in the trailer – showed them kissing mid-air. This floating kiss scene was heavily trimmed or cut entirely in the Indian version.
CBFC Draws Backlash Online
The censorship sparked widespread criticism on social media, with fans and public figures calling out the CBFC’s inconsistency and outdated standards.
Actor Shreya Dhanwanthary voiced her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“If this is true, this is RIDICULOUS!!! Some ridiculous crap happens every day. Every. Damn. Day. Sure this is the least of our worries but is something done about anything else? There is some crap every day. Every. Damn. Day.”
Fans expressed disbelief that a harmless kiss was removed while violence, vulgar jokes, and misogyny in local films continue to go unchallenged.
“Even Superman cannot defeat this Sanskari CBFC,” one user wrote.
“It was just a kiss. It’s not like they were ripping each other’s clothes off. CBFC is an utter joke,” said another.
Referencing the CBFC’s recent changes to F1 — where a middle finger emoji was altered to a fist — one user wrote:
“We’re censoring kisses now? What next? Can’t hug on screen. Can’t touch.”
Another added:
“So, Superman is NOT allowed to kiss Lois Lane on Indian screens. But all sleazy leading men of Indian films are allowed to pull, grope, assault, stalk, slap, and do whatever they want with their heroines. Are you serious, Indian Censor Board?”
Double Standards Called Out
Many users mocked the CBFC’s double standards, pointing to recent Bollywood films:
“You can have lewd double meaning jokes in Housefull 5. Beheadings & gory violence in Jaat. But… Superman kissing Lois Lane is where we draw the line.”
“Now watching #Superman and boy howdy the Indian censor board has embarrassed itself with the abrupt cuts. The way they’ve managed to mangle the flow is atrocious.”
One post sarcastically questioned:
“Don’t know whether the CBFC members are a bunch of sexually frustrated, love-deprived individuals or they get some sadistic pleasure out of taking out a few seconds of a normal PG-13 kiss scene.”
About Superman (2024)
Directed by James Gunn, the film kicks off the filmmaker’s new vision for the DC Universe. Starring David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, the film also features Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, along with Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. Despite the censorship, the film has opened to a positive response in India and is performing well at the box office.