Curry Barker Film Obsession Faces Indian CBFC's Axe As Violence, Intimate Scene Get Chopped

Curry

Barker’s psychological horror Obsession is releasing in theatres on May 29. Ahead of its debut in Indian theatres, the movie was certified by the Central Board of Film Certification on May 6. As the countdown to its release has begun, its certification details were disclosed on social media. According to the certificate that is circulating on the internet, the Indian CBFC asked the makers of Obsession to make a few modifications. Besides anti-smoking and anti-liquor static messages, the censor board demanded edits as Obsession includes violence and intimate activities.

What changes did the Indian CBFC ask for in Obsession

According to the viral censor board certificate, the CBFC asked the makers of Obsession to ‘reduce the scene of extreme violence’ and ‘deleted the scene of graphic sexual activity’. Besides this, they were instructed to ‘replaced visual with nudity’. A total of 38 seconds of the film were asked to be removed. After the censor board’s approval and clearance, the final runtime of Obsession is 110.29 minutes.

All you need to know about Obsession

The censor board version of Obsession’s synopsis reads, “After breaking the mysterious 'One Wish Willow' to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.”

Obsession movie budget

Obsession released internationally on May 15. According to reports, it is one of 2026’s biggest indie horror success stories. The film is said to have been made on a reported budget of under USD 1 million, and it has earned over USD 75 million globally within weeks. The second week was bigger. Obsession stars Michael Johnston as Bear, Inde Navarrette as Nikki, Cooper Tomlinson and Andy Richter. In an official statement, the director said that horror is one genre that lets filmmakers explore extreme ideas and emotions in a way that feels honest and visceral. “Whether it’s obsession with a person or anything else, that idea of being completely consumed by something has always fascinated me, and horror felt like the right genre to explore that. Taking inspiration from a The Simpsons episode, that combination of obsession and a wish-based device really sparked the idea for the story,” he said.

Obsession's film festival run

Obsession had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Following this, the film continued its festival run at events like Fantastic Fest and South by Southwest (SXSW).