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Seven killed in four road accidents in JharkhandSeven killed in four road accidents in Jharkhand Published on: May 04, 2026 5:17 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Ranchi, Seven people, including three minors, were killed in four road accidents in Jharkhand over the past 24 hours, police said on Monday
Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan movie: Filmmaker Kabir Khan has opened up about a battle behind the scenes of one of his biggest hits, Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Speaking at the eighth edition of The Indian Express' Expresso, the director revealed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) once asked him to remove a scene featuring Om Puri's character saying “Jai Shri Ram" – but he stood firm and kept it in the film.
Kabir Khan Fought To Keep ‘Jai Shri Ram’ Scene In Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan: 'Muslims Won’t…'
Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan movie: Filmmaker Kabir Khan has opened up about a battle behind the scenes of one of his biggest hits, Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Speaking at the eighth edition of The Indian Express' Expresso, the director revealed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) once asked him to remove a scene featuring Om Puri's character saying “Jai Shri Ram" – but he stood firm and kept it in the film.
Kabir said he believes audiences are more open-minded than some of the “gatekeepers" who anticipate backlash before it happens. “If the film still gets love, then it means that somewhere it hit home," he said. “I feel it's the gatekeepers who sometimes draw these limits."
The Bajrangi Bhaijaan Scene That Sparked the Objection
The moment in question comes late in the film, which tells the story of Salman Khan's character, an Indian Hindu man on a journey to reunite a lost Muslim girl with her family in Pakistan. In the scene, set in Pakistan, Om Puri's character waves goodbye to Bajrangi, notices his hesitation in saying “Khuda Hafiz", and asks, “Aap logo mein kya kehte hain? Jai Shri Ram na?" Without a pause, he then says, “Jai Shri Ram."
According to Kabir, the CBFC suggested removing the line because they feared it might upset Muslim viewers. “I asked why and they said that Muslims won't like it," he recalled. “I said ‘Sir, what's my name? I don't mind it at all."
Why Kabir Khan Fought to Keep It
The director explained that his own upbringing shaped how he viewed the moment. “I have grown up in a Delhi where ‘Jai Shri Ram' was not a political salutation. It was used by everybody and I have been in Old Delhi where ‘Jai Shri Ram' was like saying ‘hello' and ‘goodbye'," he said. For him, the line reflected shared humanity, not division.
Kabir said he pushed back against the board's concerns and insisted the scene remain as it was written and shot. “I fought for it. I stuck to it."
How the Audience Reacted
The reaction from moviegoers proved his instincts right. He recalled attending a screening on Eid's opening day, where the theatre was packed with “blue collar Muslim workers". Far from being offended, they applauded the exchange on screen.
“I get gooseflesh thinking of it now… the censors thought they will not like it. People loved that, people loved whatever we were showing in that film, the politics behind it," he said. For him, the moment was proof that kindness and understanding resonate beyond religious and political lines.
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