Bohemian Rhapsody to Release in China After 'Overtly LGBTQ Scenes Are Removed': Report

The Chinese government is strictly selective of what the citizens have access to in terms of popular culture generating in the west. The ruling party has maintained censorship over all media capable of reaching mass audience, which includes television, print media, radio, film, theater, video games, literature, the Internet and others. Now, a recent report has claimed that Oscar winner Rami Malek's film Bohemian Rhapsody, based on the life and times of Freddie Mercury, will release in theatres across the country after 'overtly LGBTQ scenes are removed from it.'

According to a report in hollywoodreporter.com, scenes where Rami kisses other male characters and scenes of drug use will be removed before the film opens to a limited theatrical release in China. In another news related to Bohemian Rhapsody, recently, a domestic TV streaming service, Mango TV, was reported to have censored Malek’s acceptance speech when he received the the best actor Oscar trophy. The subtitles where Rami mentioned the phrase 'gay man' was replaced and read as 'special group'.

Rami and the team of producers and distributors may want to be content with the fact that Bohemian Rhapsody is getting a theatrical release in China especially after commercially and critically lauded homosexuality based films like Call Me By Your Name and Moonlight were barred from releasing locally.

This is not the first case of apprehension displayed by the Chinese authorities. Musical artists like Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 have faced the wrath of Chinese censorship and the government's control over popular medium in the past.

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