Tubelight trimmed by 14 minutes in run-up to release? Kabir Khan says news is 'absolutely untrue'

Tubelight has the 1962 India-China War as the movie's backdrop and marks Salman Khan and Kabir Khan's (Tubelight director) third film together. It's among the most anticipated releases of 2017 for Bollywood. 

Salman Khan in Tubelight. File Photo

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the run time for Tubelight had been cut down from two hours and 35 minutes to two hours and 16 minutes after post-production.

“Kabir Khan’s films are habitually lengthier than the stipulated 2 hours that the multiplex viewing audience favours. Kabir’s last film with Salman Khan Bajrangi Bhaijaan was nearly three hours long, and it worked just fine. Tubelight was edited and readied at a playing time of two hours and 35 minutes. But then for some reason they’ve now decided to prune down the film by 14 more minutes just a week before release," states the same Bollywood Hungama report.

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However, talking to Firstpost — Kabir Khan has denied these reports. "These figures are absolutely untrue. The first cut was over three hours long. The trimming process is constant and keeps taking place till the film is released," said Kabir.

If the earlier reports were true, that would have made Tubelight Salman’s shortest film out of all his recent releases. Sultan, his last release, had a duration of two hours and 50 minutes. Bajrangi Bhaijaan was two hours and 43 minutes long, and preceding that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo had a run time that was just over three hours long.

In an earlier interview with Firstpost, when asked why Salman chose to take up Tubelight he said, "A film about the connect between two brothers hasn't been done in a while. When I heard the script, I thought, this is the best film for me to do."

Tubelight will see Salman playing a simple-minded man who eventually comes to terms with the harsh realities of war and the damaging effect it has on people. The movie recently made news as the stars of the film Sohail and Salman, chose to promote Tubelight on a special episode with comedian Sunil Grover titled Super Night with Tubelight over Comedy Nights with Kapil (the promotional route that is followed by almost all other movies).

Salman and Kabir have delivered blockbusters like Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan together in the past. Salman will be seen opposite Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, who is making her Bollywood debut with Tubelight.

Tubelight is slated for release on 23 June 2017.