Sanjay Gupta's Zinda was applauded by the Censor Board. The board, which makes sure to cut scenes of sex and violence, actually appreciated Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham starrer Zinda.

A visibly excited Sanjay Gupta said, "Yes, it is true that the Censor Board liked the film. Members of the board congratulated me after watching it."

What was it about Zinda that the board members actually appreciated? Gupta said, "They liked the storyline and the film's presentation. The Censor Board rarely appreciates a film. But I guess they were completely floored by the way I handled this psychological thriller. They said that they had never watched something so daringly different." He added, "They were also in awe of Sanjay Dutt's performance in the film. When I told Sanjay about it, he felt elated."

There were stories that Gupta was given a choice between a U/A and an A certificate by the censors and that if he wanted to retain the U/A certificate he would have to edit the some scenes of violence. "Yes, but I did not want to delete those scenes as they were crucial to the film. So I did not mind my film being issued an Adults Only certificate," Gupta said.

According to industry sources, the film has extremely violent scenes — the kind that have never been seen in Hindi cinema before.

On asking Gupta about the plot of the film, he said, "Praises by the Censor Board have aroused curiosity about the film. However, I don't wish to reveal the story of the film."