Om Raut’s epic drama, Adipurush, made headlines but not in a good way. Fans criticised the makers for the underwhelming VFX, inaccurate depiction, and cringe dialogues. They even demanded a ban! Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened and Adipurush was able to escape the whirlwind. However, some movies were not lucky enough and actually got banned.
It was either because their plots based on sensitive topics or extreme nudity, which would’ve been too much for the desi audience. These films couldn’t even reach theaters. Intrigued? Scroll down to know which movies got banned in India and why.
Paanch
Anurag Kashyap was supposed to make his big directorial debut with Paanch in 2001. However, things didn’t fall into place for the maker. Based on the 1977 Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune, the film received heat from the censor board for showcasing OTT violence and drug use. After making some cuts, the film was almost ready for the release but faced issues from the producers. Following this, the movie never got released in India but was screened at several film festivals.
Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love
Mira Nair’s film Karam Sutra: A Tale Of Love was an erotic romantic film that was released in 1996. The film was set against the backdrop of the 16th century and revolved around the lives of two women, Tara and Maya, who were best friends-turned-foes. While the film was screened at many international film festivals and received nominations, it was banned in India by the censor board due to its sexually explicit content. How ironic right? Given that Kamasutra literally originated in India.
Gandu
The 2010 Bengali movie Gandu was an erotic black-and-white drama directed by Quashiq Mukherjee. It recevied positive responses from various critics and was screened at several International film Festivals. However, as one would have expected, the film caused quite a stir with several sex scenes and nudity. And coz’ of the controversy, the film didn’t even have a public screening until 2012. Later the film never saw a theatrical release and got banned in India. But is streaming on Netflix.
The Pink Mirror
The Pink Mirror or Gulabi Aaina was dubbed as India’s first film to focus on Indian transsexuals. It explored the sensitive subject of transsexuality and aimed at starting a conversation. The story revolved around two transsexuals and a gay teenager who were on a quest to seduce a straight man. Directed by Sridhar Rangayan, the movie didn’t sit well with the censor board of India which banned the movie citing ‘vulgarity and offensive.’ However, it was screened at various international film festivals and won many awards too.
Unfreedom
Directed by Raj Amit Kumar, Unfreedom: Blemished Lights was a modern-day thriller film. It explored a lesbian love story with an Islamic terrorism-related angle. But guess what? The film was refused certification for its explicit lovemaking scenes and nudity. The censor board even suggested cuts for the film’s release which the director refused, eventually getting it completely banned nationwide.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hollywood movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a thriller movie directed by David Fincher. It was based on a best-selling book by the Swedish author Stieg Larsson and revolved around the investigation of a girl who disappeared 40 years ago. While the subject was pretty ordinary, the film had some explicit scenes including that of rape and torture. The CBFC board was not okay with this and asked the director to make some cuts. David, however, refused to do so which ultimately led to the film getting banned in India.
It goes without saying that we have certainly become more open to some of these topics. But still a long way, right?
Featured Image: YouTube
