The ‘Chauhaan’ teaser was quietly edited a week after Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub drew backlash, with his voiceover now swapped out. That’s not the only tweak, the version currently on YouTube carries a second change as well. Altogether, eight days after the teaser for Ajay Devgn’s upcoming action film 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 shifted to Devgn. Checking the video on YouTube now, however, reveals a different voice narrating that opening line. Along with the change in voice, the word “major” in the dialogue has also been swapped for “colonel.”
Backlash over ‘pellet guns’ and Kashmir portrayal
Ever since the teaser’s release, both Devgn and the production banners behind ‘Chauhaan’, Jio Studios and Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions, have faced criticism over its references to “pellet guns” and its depiction of Kashmiri residents confronting armed forces. Ayyub, an actor recognized for consistently backing sensitive, thoughtful narratives, hasn’t been spared either, many have taken issue with his voicing the teaser, branding it “insensitive and divisive.”
Makers maintain silence on the edits
The backlash has come from multiple directions, everyday Hindi film viewers, political activists, and prominent voices from Kashmir alike. Yet neither Devgn, director Neeraj Yadav, nor producers Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios, Rai, and Himanshu Sharma of Colour Yellow Productions have addressed the two edits publicly. When approached by Mid-day for comment, the producers chose not to respond.