Coincidences are often strange but this one probably is stranger than many strange ones. So much hue and cry was raised all through this week over the NOC of the India Air Force for Pankaj Kapur’s Mausam. The delay in the NOC resulted in the film’s release being moved ahead by a week. At the same time, exactly 25 years ago the Indian Air Force had cleared the film Dahleez, starring Jackie Shroff.

Dahleez Movie Poster, Mausam Movie Poster

A quarter of a century ago, in mid-September itself, B.R. Chopra’s Dahleez (1986) needed the No Objection Certificate of not only the India Air Force but also of the Indian Army, both of which gave the film their clearance. Not only that, the authorities were also all praise for the film and said that Dahleez, directed by Ravi Chopra, raised the prestige of the armed forces and the air force. Another coincidence is that while Dahleez was the joint effort of father B.R. Chopra and son Ravi Chopra, Mausam has the combined efforts of father Pankaj Kapur and son Shahid Kapoor.

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