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.