Traditionally, Bollywood film-makers have always lobbied for their films to be given the “family entertainer” tag. Not only were they looking to appeal to a wider set of audiences, they also wanted the censors to give them a “universal” certificate. So what if it came at the cost of cutting off a few scenes and dialogues. In a recent development, though, film-makers today would rather risk an “adults only” certificate than let the censors tamper with their films’ content.

Aamir Khan started the trend when he was unapologetic about the adult humour in his Delhi Belly, and Milan Luthria is also actively urging his film’s promotional activity to focus on the inherent raunchiness in The Dirty Picture. “Not only was the adult content integral to the plot of The Dirty Picture, it also made the film very marketable. Milan was prepared for an ‘A’ certificate all along,” says the assistant director of the film. But thanks to that compromise, Milan got his film with zero cuts.

“When I make up my mind to make a film, I have to look at it from a creative and commercial standpoint. The Dirty Picture works on both counts, and I don’t mind the ‘A’ certificate one bit,” says Milan. “Besides, when you have something that arouses the libido, one needs to have the right set of audiences walking in.”