'Mausam' withdrawn from Toronto film festival

Pankaj Kapoor's eagerly awaited directorial debut 'Mausam' was pulled from the Toronto film festival line-up, just a day before it was due to premiere.

According to NDTV Movies, organisers said in a statement that they were informed by the studio, that the film had not received regulatory approvals in India, in time to screen the film this week in Toronto.

Producer Sheetal Talwar said: "We ran into a delay getting approvals from the Indian Air Force and the Board of Film Certification in India."

Today, the leading man of the movie, Shahid Kapoor is in Delhi to preview the film before officers and heads of the Indian Air Force, hoping to get their approval for an action sequence the IAF had objected to earlier.

He tweeted last night: "Going to IAF tomorrow in Delhi to show them Mausam... Fingers crossed and hoping for the best..." (Sic.)

Three screenings of the movie which were meant to go ahead today, tomorrow and on Friday in Toronto were cancelled last minute yesterday. A press conference with the world media was also cancelled.

In the movie Shahid plays an Indian Air Force pilot from Punjab who falls in love with a Muslim woman.

Female First Haleema Shabir