After a censorship battle, Bollywood film 'Udta Punjab' leaked online before its release

After a series of objections from the India's Censor Board, Bollywood film Udta Punjab was recently cleared for release with just a single cut. However on June 15, the prints of the entire film were leaked online, just two days before its release on June 17.

The film's producer Phantom Films filed a copyright theft case with the cyber crime cell after it discovered that the version of the film that had been submitted to the Censor Board was the same as the one of available on several torrent websites. The download links were later removed due to a copyright infringement complaint and the man responsible has also been arrested. However, illegal DVDs of the film continue to be sold in Mumbai as well.

The Censor Board has denied that it had anything to do with the leak or that the leaked version was the same one that was examined by the board.

The film's actors and other people from the film industry have been requesting people not to download the pirated version and to watch the film in theatres.

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On Facebook, Udta Punjab co-producer Anurag Kashyap reminded people of the larger battle against censorship and urged them not to download the film illegally before its release.

"I have never downloaded a film on torrent, I don't know how to. Yes, occasionally I have seen downloaded films that were borrowed from friends, and found a way to pay for them later, by buying them on DVD or Blu-ray, and when I say this I also say that no one can stop your right to download a film. This time its a different fight, its a fight against censorship and if you are that audience that always downloads a film, then I won't ask you to not do that. Please do, but wait till Saturday which is the day you would normally download a film," Kashyap wrote. "Piracy happens because of lack of access and in a world of free internet, I do not have a problem with it. My problem is that this time its a case of vested interests trying to demoralise people from fighting for their rights. So all downloaders of Udta Punjab, I urge you to wait till Saturday till you decide to not pay for the film. Don't download and share, curb the curiosity for two more days."

The post has already been shared over 2,500 times.

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