The psychological thriller, directed by Michael Showalter, was cleared on September 29, ahead of its October 2 theatrical release. Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson’s Verity will arrive in Indian theatres with an ‘A’ certificate after undergoing cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The final runtime is 118 minutes and 41 seconds, with paid previews scheduled for October 1. Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2018 novel, Verity follows Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a struggling writer hired to complete injured author Verity Crawford’s bestselling series. Much of the deleted footage reportedly comes from the film’s much-discussed make-out sequence featuring Hathaway and Johnson. The board also ordered anti-smoking and anti-alcohol static warnings wherever applicable, removed visuals of an e-cigarette and directed the makers to blur a medicine brand name. Her stay with the Crawford family takes a disturbing turn after she discovers a hidden manuscript containing shocking revelations about Verity’s past. Josh Hartnett also stars.
The CBFC’s Examining Committee asked the makers to “suitably modify” intimate visuals and remove explicit portions, leading to 23 seconds being cut, according to Bollywood Hungama.
