Digital glitch delays xXx Telugu dub

The Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage almost did not make it to the screens on schedule, as they were not submitted for certification on time. While the Hindi and Tamil versions did it make it to the theatres, the Telugu version has been delayed.

The news about the dubbed versions’ impending delay was brought to Vin Diesel’s attention, and he immediately questioned the film’s producers. When Central Bureau of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani heard of Vin’s concern, he immediately sprung into action.“We broke the queue to certify the dubbed versions of xXx. It’s a matter of India’s image abroad. We didn’t want to be seen as a nation of slow, slothful bureaucracy. We viewed and certified the Tamil and Hindi versions on Friday. The Telugu version couldn’t be certified, thanks to the wrong Key Delivery Message (KDM). Instead of the Telugu dubbed versions, Viacom ended up submitting two KDMs of the Tamil language version.”

Confirming these developments, a source from Viacom says, “We got the wrong KDMs from our head office in Paramount in the US. We’ve corrected the mistake and resubmitted the Telugu version. The Hindi and Tamil versions were released as per schedule on Saturday. We hope to release the Telugu version in a day or two.”

According to the source, Viacom had decided to release all four versions of xXx on January 14, six days ahead of its international release. “Viacom had even announced advance bookings for the dubbed version, anticipating the certification would be done in time. However, this was not to be and Viacom had to cancel the release of the dubbed version to January 20,” the source added.

Pahlaj though, has another story to tell. “The dubbed versions of a movie can only be certified after the original is done. Viacom got its certification for the English language version on Monday. They submitted the dubbed versions on Wednesday, and expected us to watch all three versions on Thursday. How? We’ve a pile of films to be certify. Producers must learn to set plausible goals for their film’s certification. We’re not breaking the queue for any producer or film. It’s first-come-first serve basis at CBFC. However, this time we broke the queue so as to not tarnish our image in the international media.”