Neeraj Pandey’s Aiyaary, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee, finally got the Censor Board of Film Certification clearance on Tuesday. The film, set against the backdrop of the Indian Army, was stalled last week because the Defense Ministry wanted to review it. After the Censor Board clearance, the movie will now release on February 16, avoiding clash with Akshay Kumar’s PadMan.
Director Neeraj Pandey shared a tweet last evening sharing the news, thanking the CBFC and Ministry of Defence:
Finally… this just arrived. All cleared for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 now! Thank you #CBFCIndia. Thank you MOD. See you on Feb 16 in cinemas near you! @S1dharthM @BajpayeeManoj @Rakulpreet @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @aiyaary @adgpi @PenMovies @currentshah pic.twitter.com/TdHIFjQHJZ
— Neeraj Pandey (@neerajpofficial) February 6, 2018
Also read: Week before its release, here’s why Aiyaary’s still waiting for CBFC clearance
Apparently, the movie was reviewed by the Ministry of Defence, on the insistence of the Censor Board. And after suggesting a few changes, the MoD gave a green signal to the movie, as per the Indian Express.
Sharing his happiness over the clearance and getting a final release date, actor Manoj Bajpayee also shared a tweet:
Thank you #CBFCIndia! Thank you M.O.D! The final countdown for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 begins now! @neerajpofficial @S1dharthM @BajpayeeManoj @Rakulpreet @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher #NaseeruddinShah @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @adgpi @currentshah @PenMovies pic.twitter.com/B1k3cPi6u8
— Aiyaary (@aiyaary) February 6, 2018
Aiyaary is inspired from true events. It is a story of an Army officer (portrayed by Siddharth Malhotra) gone rogue, who decides to leak confidential defense secrets of the country, while another one (Manoj Bajpayee) tries to bring him on the right path. Initially, the movie was supposed to be released on Republic Day, but with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-anticipated Padmaavat releasing ahead of it, the makers decided to postpone it to February 9. Crossing the final hurdle, the film will now see the light of the day on February 16.
