It has been almost five years since South Korean filmmaker-writer Bong Joon-Ho’s big win at the Academy Awards for Parasite (2019). He returns with the sci-fi film, Mickey 17, featuring Robert Pattinson. Being a foreign film, one might have expected the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to make massive cuts. However, the film passed without any. Reason: the studio pre-edited the movie to cater to Indian audiences. In India, Mickey 17 will run four minutes shorter than the original. The studio’s decision to self-censor was a strategic move to ensure the film’s release in India at any cost. 

The pre-emptive edit reflects a growing trend among studios releasing films in India, where audience sensibilities sometimes clash with global content standards. A source close to the CBFC noted, “The studio’s careful approach reflects a keen understanding of the Indian market and the challenges of catering to a diverse audience.”