The autonomy that web platforms exercise while censoring shows became evident in May 2024, when Jio Cinema dropped from its platform a 2019 episode by British comedian John Oliver that revolved around Indian elections. In the latest case of self-censorship, select scenes of Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light were altered for its digital release on Disney+ Hotstar. Interestingly, additional disclaimers relating to the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol have also been added to the OTT draft. 

A source tells mid-day, “About 30 seconds of the film has been trimmed, but none of the key scenes have been tampered with. Even a contentious scene involving frontal nudity has been left untouched. With that said, at a later point in the film, when the characters are seen drinking, a disclaimer has been added. This wasn’t in accordance with the recommendation of the CBFC but an additional [call] taken by the platform.”