Director Ali Abbasi attends a press conference for the film ‘The Apprentice’ in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Apprentice, based on the early life of former US President Donald Trump, has missed its India release. The film, starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, is directed by Ali Abbasi. The movie was set to hit the screens on October 18, 2024.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has demanded cuts from the movie, which the makers have refused to do. Abbasi slammed censorship, calling it an epidemic. Some scenes mentioned by the CBFC are crucial to the plot, argue the makers of the Hollywood movie.
“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with these people!. I ran away from Iranian censorship only to meet corporate censorship of the US. Now India! Really? Censorship seems to be an epidemic at the moment. We need a VACCINE!,” Abbasi wrote on X.
Reports say CBFC demanded some sex scenes to be cut from the movie. One of the scenes apparently shows Trump “throwing” Ivana Trump (former wife of Trump) and proceeding to sexually assault her. Amidst the censorship row, the uncut version was reportedly screened for limited viewers in Mumbai on October 16, 2024.
The Indian censor board was in the news recently for thwarting the release of Monkey Man, starring and directed by Dev Patel. The CBFC, despite evidently not banning the film, prevented the action thriller from releasing in India. The film’s political theme was reported as the reason for the delay.
Meanwhile, The Apprentice has been hit by a bigger controversy with Trump’s lawyers calling the film “garbage” and “malicious”. Trump has described The Apprentice as a fake movie on him.
In the film, Sebastian Stan stars as the young Trump, with Jeremy Strong playing his infamous mentor, Roy Cohn. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, The Apprentice showcases Trump’s life in the fast lane, from attending glamorous parties with Maria Bakalova’s Ivana Trump to hyping up his real estate ventures.
Published – October 18, 2024 04:08 pm IST
