"Udta Punjab", which brings to the big screen Punjab's menacing issue of drug abuse, is an "honest" portrayal of the situation, says the film's co-producer Anurag Kashyap in response to the a reported demand by the censor board to chop out any reference to Punjab in the movie.

"There is no film more honest than 'Udta Punjab'... And any person or party opposing it is actually guilty of promoting drugs," Kashyap tweeted on Monday night.

His message came after the makers were reportedly asked by the censor board to make changes, altering any reference to Punjab. The decision is perhaps politically motivated and under pressure from the ruling dispensation in the state which is dealing with a festering problem of drugs.

Starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, "Udta Punjab", delves into how the youth there have succumbed to drugs. It's like living in North Korea


Anurag Kashyap, one of the producers of "Udta Punjab", has compared the ongoing censorship regarding his upcoming film "Udta Punjab" to the dictator regime of North Korea.

The "Bombay Velvet" director said there is no sense of freedom here.

"I always wondered what it felt like to live in North Korea... Ab to plane pakadney ki bhi zaroorat nahin...," he posted on Twitter.

The 43-year-old filmmaker's tweet came after Censor Boardhad purportedly raised certain objections regarding references to Punjab following which the movie may have to go through some changes.

"Udta Punjab", starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh in a pivotal role, deals with the substance abuse in Northen part of the state and its effects on the youth.

"There is no film more honest than UDTA PUNJAB... And any person or party opposing it is actually GUILTY of promoting drugs," Kashyap added.

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film is slated to release on June 17.