Home / Arts and Entertainment / CBFC alters 'Dawood Ibrahim' to 'Pakistan Don' in Kennedy
CBFC alters 'Dawood Ibrahim' to 'Pakistan Don' in Kennedy
19 Feb
Summary
- CBFC mandated 'motherf*****' muting and name changes in Kennedy.
- The film was altered to replace 'Donald Trump' with 'Pump Trump'.
- Visuals of Dawood Ibrahim were replaced with 'Pakistan Don'.
Anurag Kashyap's neo-noir drama, Kennedy, has undergone censor board alterations prior to its release. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reviewed the film, which had previously premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
The CBFC Examining Committee requested several changes, including muting the word 'motherf*****' in dialogues and subtitles. The name 'Donald Trump' was replaced with 'Pump Trump'. References to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim were altered, with visuals and dialogue about him being replaced by 'Pakistan Don'.
Additionally, a 14-second scene featuring a degrading dialogue was removed. The board also mandated the display of an anti-smoking static message during all smoking scenes. These modifications led to Kennedy receiving an 'A' certificate on November 23, 2023.
The film, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, is set during the Covid era and follows an ex-cop presumed dead but operating for corrupt officials. Kennedy has a runtime of 148.54 minutes. It was also selected for Letterboxd's Video Store launch in December 2025, making it available in 23 countries, excluding India.
Kennedy is also slated for a premiere on the streaming platform Zee5 in January 2026. The film's trailer is expected to be launched at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026.
