Right from pre-Independence days, Cinema has been used as a means to showcase dissent. Be it against the government or important establishments, many filmmakers have dared to go against the system

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Fed up with propaganda? Here are 15 anti-establishment films that stood up to the status quo

With the steady onslaught of politically servile cinema on the Indian screen, here are 15 anti-establishment films to cleanse your palate with

Team CE

Published:12th Sep, 2019 at 4:32 PM

Bhakta Vidur (1921): Kanjibhai Rathod’s silent mythological became the first film to be banned. The character of Vidura was said to resemble Mahatma Gandhi, evidenced by his khaddar clothing.

Thyagabhoomi (1939): Released at the peak of the freedom movement, this Tamil feature was the only film to be banned by the British. The story followed a Brahmin woman who joins the freedom struggle.

Neel Akasher Neechey (1958): Mrinal Sen’s sophomore film became the first to be banned by the Govt of India. It told of a Chinese silk merchant in Calcutta and the Civic Disobedience Movement.

Garam Hava (1973): A social drama on the life of Indian Muslims in Uttar Pradesh in the wake of Partition. Ahead of the film's premiere, Bal Thackeray threatened to burn down the theatre.

Aandhi (1975): Gulzar's love story between a hotel manager and a politician was rumoured to be based on Indira Gandhi’s life. The film was banned with the imposition of the National Emergency of 1975.

Kissa Kursi Ka (1977): This political satire on the Indira Gandhi government was banned during Emergency and prints were seized. Sanjay Gandhi was later found guilty of burning the negatives.

Piravi (1989): Shaji N Karun’s Malayalam film looked at the life of a professor of Hindi seeking justice for the disappearance of his son during the Emergency. It won the National Award in 1989.

Ram Ke Naam (1992): Anand Patwardhan’s documentary trailed the VHP’s campaign to demolish the Babri Masjid and build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Controversies around public screening continue till date.

Bandit Queen (1994): Shekhar Kapur’s unflinching look at caste, patriarchy and gender-based violence changed Indian cinema. The National Award-winning film turned 25 this year.

Fire (1996): Deepa Mehta’s film faced protests from Hindu activists for depicting same-sex relationships. Theatres were stormed and audiences driven away by armed protesters upon release.

Dil Se (1998): The final chapter of Mani Ratnam’s terrorism trilogy took on the Northern Eastern insurgency and alienation. The film dealt with themes deemed too ‘anti-national’ for today.

Parzania (2007): Inspired by the real-life disappearance of a 10-year-old Parsi boy during the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre in Gujarat. Cinema owners refused to screen the film fearing backlash.

Haider (2014): Vishal Bhardwaj rounded off his Shakespeare Trilogy with this Kashmir-set adaptation of Hamlet that tackled civil disappearances and military aggression. It won 5 National awards.

No Fathers in Kashmir (2019): Ashvin Kumar’s coming-of-age story follows two Kashmiri teenagers in the quest for their missing fathers. It was stuck with the censors for nine months before release.

Article 15 (2019): Anubhav Sinha & Ayushmann Khurrana teamed up for a brutal portrayal of caste-based violence in rural India. The film, loosely based on the 2014 Badaun rape case, was a success.