Mumbai: Mastiii 4 is ready to hit theatres this Friday after the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the film with an adult A certificate. Makers breathed a sigh of relief as the fun, raunchy comedy was passed after a few focused edits rather than major tampering, keeping the spirit of the franchise largely intact.
What the censors asked for
The board’s changes were limited and surgical rather than sweeping. A total of 39 seconds of footage were removed or shortened. This included a nine second top angle shot described in the certificate as an animal humping visual which was deleted entirely. The CBFC also asked the makers to shorten a 30 second sequence of close up human faces that the board felt required trimming.
On the audio side several dialogues were altered to tone down language and references. The makers replaced certain words to make them less provocative. The word “behen” was swapped for a milder alternative and a line using the word “item” was similarly modified. An alcohol brand name mentioned in the film was also changed to a fictional label, a common request to avoid commercial references.
After these changes Mastiii 4 received its A certificate on November 17. The censor certificate lists the final length as 144.17 minutes which translates to 2 hours 24 minutes and 17 seconds.
How many dialogues were affected
Reports regarding the certification cited numerous changes in dialogue. The number of censored dialogues listed in the headline was six, whereas production notes show that there are several lines that were changed and that one of the dialogues was requested to be replaced completely. The point is that the filmmakers ensured the requested changes in language and did not alter the overall tone of the movie.
Why the limited cuts are important
To a movie that relies on shock value and adult comedy such selective edits are a victory to the producers. Instead of a censor battle which may slow down or water down a film the calculated cuts can put Mastiii 4 on its schedule and still serve its intended audience. Replacing brand names and replacing a handful of words are typical certification corrections as excising an explicit image of an animal and a close up sequence demonstrate that the board has a particular set of issues they are interested in and not the general comic intent of the movie.
Expect the usual high energy comic set pieces loud music and the kind of comic situations that made the franchise a talking point over the years. With a runtime of just over two hours Mastiii 4 aims to be a crowd pleasing adult comedy that returns the franchise to theatres after a long gap for this genre.
Mastiii Franchise
The latest Mastiii franchise after Masti in 2004 Grand Masti in 2013 and Great Grand Masti in 2016 is Mastiii 4. These movies established their fame through general comedies of daring circumstance and a blunt comic manner. The fact that the board requested select trims as opposed to wholesale cuts indicates that the film will still bring the trademark ribald fun that the viewers are used to but comply with the certification standards.
Cast crew and release details
Directed by Milap Zaveri Mastiii 4 brings back franchise regulars Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani. The new edition expands the ensemble with Ruhi Singh, Shreya Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Natalia Janoszek, Shaad Randhawa and Nishant Singh Malkani. The film also features special appearances by Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. Milap Zaveri arrives at this release fresh off the surprise success of his recent film Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat which added momentum to his run as a director.
Mastiii 4 will open in cinemas on Friday November 21, 2025 and carries an A certificate for adult audiences only.
