Summary of this article
Mohanlal and Mammootty's Patriot has reportedly faced issues with the Censor Board over the villain's name resembling a politician's son.
The film has been re-edited and resubmitted ahead of its May 1 release.
Patriot's producer denied the claims regarding the villain's name.
Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal have reunited with Patriot, one of the most anticipated Malayalam films of 2026. It also stars prominent actors, including Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban and Nayanthara, among others, in key roles. Ahead of its release on May 1, Patriot has reportedly faced a major roadblock as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directed the makers to make certain changes to the upcoming film.
Patriot faces Censor Board scrutiny
According to reports, the board directed alteration of the villain's name, resembling a prominent politician's son and a few controversial scenes were also asked to be removed. It has also reportedly undergone a few cuts, leading to a runtime of three hours.
Reacting to the reports, Anto Joseph, Patriot's producer, denied the claims regarding the villain's name and told Onmanorama the reports were untrue. However, he admitted that the Censor Board asked them to make minor adjustments, but the core of the film remains unaffected.
Reports state that the production team has completed the re-editing of the film at Lal Media Studio in Kochi and will resubmit it soon.
Following the modifications, Patriot is expected to be cleared by the CBFC for theatrical release.
Meanwhile, the UAE censorship process for Patriot is completed and advance bookings are also open.
Jinu Joseph, Revathy, Rajeev Menon, Danish Husain, Shaheen Siddique, Sanal Aman, Darshana Rajendran, and others round out the cast.
Directed by Mahesh Narayanan, the espionage thriller was initially slated to arrive in cinemas on April 23, 2026, but was postponed to May 1, with makers citing “unforeseen circumstances.”
