The ‘Chauhaan’ teaser was quietly edited a week after Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub drew a backlash, with his voiceover now replaced. That’s not the only tweak, the current version of YouTube also brings a second change. All, eight days after the teaser for: Ajay DevgnThe upcoming action movie first went online, its makers made two silent edits, one of which removed Ayyub’s voice from the opening monologue.
What exactly has changed in the teaser?
The teaser, which runs a little over two minutes, originally opened with Ayyub’s voice delivering the first line before the rest of the voiceover was transferred to Devgn. Checking the video on YouTube today, however, reveals a different voice narrating the opening line. Along with the voice change, the word “major” in the dialogue is also replaced by “colonel.”
Backlash on ‘pellet guns’ and description of Kashmir
Since the release of the teaser, Devgn and the production banners behind ‘Chauhaan’, Jio Studios and: Anand L Rai:Color Yellow Productions, faced criticism for its references to “pellet guns” and its depiction of Kashmiri residents facing armed forces. Ayyub, an actor known for consistently supporting sensitive, thoughtful narratives, was also not spared, many took issue with his statement in the teaser, branding it “insensitive and divisive.”
The creators are silent on the edits
The backlash came from many directions, everyday Hindi film viewers, political activists, and prominent voices from Kashmir. Despite Devgn, director Neeraj Yadavnor producers Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios, Rai, and: Himanshu Sharma of Color Yellow Productions both edits to the public. When approached by Mid-day for comment, the producers chose not to respond.