There's good news about Sanjay Gupta's extremely violent and dark new film Zinda [Images]: It has just got past the censors unscathed.

 "I'm amazed. The film has gone without cuts, with an 'A' certificate. They offered to give me a 'U/A' certificate if I accepted substantial cuts. I preferred to go without cuts."

"They have allowed all the violence and bloodshed, which are integral to the film. And for the first time, the two mainstream heroes -- Sanjay Dutt [Images] and John Abraham [Images] -- use graphic expletives, including the 'F' word."

Images: Sanjay Dutt's Zinda

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Is the censor board growing up? Gupta seems to think so. "They've shown extreme maturity in dealing with Zinda. If they had ordered me to cut the film, it would have been ruined. Surprisingly, there were three women on the censor panel and they loved the film! I'm amazed. I suppose our cinema is growing up, and the board reflects that maturity."

Sanjay intends to release Zinda worldwide on Jan 11, "for Eid. I had to advance the release on my distributors' request. They felt Eid Wednesday was a good time to release, so we get a long weekend for the film to grow."

The director plans a series of media events throughout the week. "Though it's a dark film, I've never felt more charged and optimistic about any of my films."

The film's soundtrack is racing up the charts too. Says Gupta, "We really slogged over the tracks. This is the first time when Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham have showed their musical aptitudes. They not only sing, Dutt has even contributed to the tunes and lyrics."

He sums it all up by claiming, "Zinda wasn't an easy film to make. And, let me warn you, it isn't an easy film to see."