Midnight's Children: India censors pass Rushdie film without cuts

The Indian censor board has passed without any cuts a film based on Sir Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children, filmmaker Deepa Mehta says.

"India here we come-intact! Great news... Midnight's Children went through Indian Censor board without one picture cut. Salman Rushdie and I thrilled," Mehta wrote on Twitter.

The film is due for release in India early next year.

It was shown at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada in September.

Midnight's Children was also screened at the recent opening of the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala.

There were fears that the film may not be released in India because the Booker Prize-winning novel was critical of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

But later, PVR Pictures, one of India's biggest cinema chains, bought the film for India release.

Both Mehta and Sir Salman are considered controversial figures in India.

The author's 1988 book The Satanic Verses remains banned in India. In January he withdrew from the Jaipur Literature Festival after reports of a death threat.

He was also forced to abandon plans to address the gathering by a video link after protesters threatened to march on the venue.

Mehta was prevented by some Hindu groups from filming Water in the Indian city of Varanasi.

She later shot the film in Sri Lanka, where Midnight's Children was also made.