# CBFC reportedly trims 23 seconds from Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson's Verity

Published 2026-09-30T13:35:13Z

> Verity, the thriller starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, has reportedly been passed with an 'A' certificate after 23 seconds of intimate footage were cut, ahead of its October 2 theatrical release.

Verity, the thriller led by Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, has reportedly been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification with an 'A' certificate. According to reports, it did not get through untouched: 23 seconds of intimate footage were removed before the film was passed on September 29. The movie reaches theatres on October 2.

Reports say the board's Examining Committee asked the makers to suitably modify the intimate visuals by taking out the explicit portions. Most of the trimmed footage is reportedly from the much-discussed make-out sequence between Hathaway and Johnson. Other changes were also reportedly required. Anti-smoking and anti-alcohol static messages were added wherever characters smoke or drink, shots of an e-cigarette were deleted, and the brand name of a medicine was blurred.

The certified running time is reportedly 118.41 minutes, which works out to 1 hour, 58 minutes and 41 seconds. Paid previews are reportedly planned for the evening of October 1, a day before the full release.

Josh Hartnett completes the lead cast. The film adapts Colleen Hoover's novel, with Michael Showalter directing from a screenplay by Nick Antosca. Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to finish the next book of bestselling author Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway, after a car accident leaves her in a coma. Hartnett plays Jeremy, Verity's husband. While staying at the Crawford home, Lowen finds an autobiographical manuscript that reveals dark secrets about Verity's obsessive bond with Jeremy and her feelings towards their twin children.

The early critical response has been harsh. One review calls the adaptation a corny thriller, faulting its flashy visuals, jump-scare editing and voiceovers that spell out major plot points. It also argues that the heavily promoted intimate scene between the two stars adds little to the story, and says neither Hathaway nor Johnson finds a real groove in their roles. Fans can judge for themselves when Verity opens in theatres this week.

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Source: https://clapnumber.com/news/cbfc-reportedly-trims-23-seconds-from-anne-hathaway-and-dakota-johnsons-verity
Retrieved: 2026-09-30