The upcoming Bollywood road-trip drama starring Patralekhaa and Maanvi Gagroo just lost part of its name. Originally titled Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) stepped in and demanded the removal of the geographic location, officially retitling the project to simply Heer Sara ahead of its theatrical debut.
The examining committee argued that the film’s adult-oriented content should not be directly associated with the Union Territory. Along with the title change, the board instructed the makers to delete a specific derogatory word from the second half of the movie. Following these mandated cuts, the film received an ‘A’ (Adults Only) certificate and an official runtime locked at 99 minutes and 17 seconds.
The board’s ruling immediately sparked discussions about a perceived double standard within Indian cinema, according to Bollywood Hungama, since intensely themed past releases like The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, and 2025’s Udaipur Files were all cleared without being forced to drop geographic locations from their titles.
Directed by Kartik Chaudhry, the plot follows the motorcycle journey of two women traveling from Indore to Pondicherry to confront their personal struggles. The mandated title change forced the producers—Sony Music India, Maghaa Creations, Next Level Productions, and Opticus Inc.—to re-submit all official paperwork, promotional assets, and the movie trailer for fresh clearances, ultimately pushing the release date back from May 29 to June 12.
When the delay surfaced on May 25, the film’s team initially covered the censorship issue by claiming the shorter name was chosen because it felt “sharper, easier to remember, and more emotionally impactful,” an explanation outlined in a Hindustan Times exclusive report covering the administrative delays with promotional assets. The studio is now rushing to finalize the updated marketing rollout before the new June 12 premiere date.