A certain Bollywood movie got banned in some states, I am sure you must have heard about this in the news or media. India produces a large number of movies every year from different genres. But some movies don’t pass the central board of film certification.
The reason could be nudity in the film, vulgar language, or maybe something extreme and graphic. But it doesn’t mean that these movies aren’t good. The majority of the films that have been banned in India went on to get praise from all around the world.
In this article, we are listing all the Bollywood movies that were banned in India but complimented abroad. You can also say these movies are the most banned movies of all time in India.
Banned Bollywood Movies in India ( Nudity, Violence & More)
1) Bandit Queen
Directed by legendary Shekhar Kapoor, this film showcased the life and legacy of infamous Phoolan Devi. She belonged to a lower cast and she faces sexual assault, discrimination from the society.
All these incidents turned her into a bandit. She took her revenge by killing several men who were involved in raping her. She later became a member of parliament.
Censor board banned this movie in India because of it’s sexual and verbal content. Bandit Queen went on to get a lot of praise worldwide from both critics and viewers.
You can watch Bandit Queen on Sony Liv (Subscription Required)
2) Fire 1996
Homosexuality is still kind of a stigma in many parts of India and many people can’t digest it. The fire was one such movie that highlights the relationship of the sister-in-law of the Hindu family.
Fire received a lot of backlash in the country and the censor board decided to ban it. It was directed by Deepa Mehta and she is known for her bold and inspiring storytelling.
Although banned in India, this movie went on to become critically acclaimed worldwide. It stars Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Karishma Jhalani in the leading roles.
3) Paanch 2003
Anurag Kashyap is famous for producing movies that will face problems with the censor board. In the early days of Anurag, he made a brilliant film Paanch.
This movie was based on Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders. Actors like Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, and Joy Fernandes gave stellar performances.
Due to harsh language, graphic violence, and sexual content censor board decided to ban this movie in India.
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4) Black Friday 2004
Another victim of censorship by the censor board of India is Anurag Kashyap directed Black Friday. Based on the 1993 Mumbai blast and the investigation that follows.
It was based on the book by the same name. This movie was also rejected by the Bombay high court due to the sensitive subject. It got good praise from critics around the world.
If you want to watch the movie, you can watch it on Hotstar.
5) Water 2005
John Abraham has always chosen scripts with impactful stories. Like Madras Cafe, No Smoking, Parmanu among others. Water was such a film which got banned in India.
Directed by Deepa Mehta wowed the audience worldwide with the story that touched everyone. It is the story of a Banaras widow and their condition in society. This movie never saw the light of day in India but you can watch it online. This movie was also nominated for an academy award.
6) Kama Sutra – A Tale of Love 1996
This is very ironic to see that we Indians have penned down Kamasutra but we as a society are not comfortable watching a movie. Vātsyāyana Would have been disappointed.
This Mira Nair film received so much backlash that it was banned throughout the country. It was released in abroad where it was praised. One of the Bollywood Movies That Got Banned in India
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7) Garam Hawa 1973
This is the story of India-Pakistan partition where a businessman is struggling to find his place. Since it was based on the partition Censor board feared that it might create communal tension. Films release was halted for 10 months and was released after a private screening to then PM Indira Gandhi.
This movie was awarded the national award and also premiered in Paris and Cannes film festival.
8) Kissa Kursi Ka 1977
Sometimes graphic, sexuality, and harsh language isn’t the only reason for a movie to be banned. This movie was a satirical take on the Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi. This was not well received by the Indian government.
This was also the time of emergency 1975-1977. During that period Right to Freedom of the press was curtailed. The government also controlled the whole press and all the prints or Kissa Kursi Ka was confiscated.
9) Aandhi 1975
The time of the 70s was not very bright in India. We faced an emergency, there was a media blackout and the government was controlling everything.
Aandhi was allegedly based on the life of then PM Indira Gandhi and her relationship with her ex-husband. When Indira Gandhi was PM film was not allowed released.
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10). Inshallah, Football 2010
This is a documentary about a Kashmiri boy who wants to become a professional footballer. He is not given the chance to travel abroad because his father was charged with militancy.
Though the subject was in good faith due to the sensitive matter of Kashmir it was denied the certificate for release.
This documentary is available on Youtube. Inshallah, Football also won the national awards.
11). Unfreedom 2015
Unfreedom is the latest movie to be banned in India by the censor board. This movie is based on homosexuality and lesbian relationship. There is also a terrorism angle to the plot which makes it sensitive.
This movie has nudity and lovemaking scenes among other things. Directed by Raj Amit Kumar, Unfreedom has gained so many positive reviews. If you like to catch this movie, it is available on Netflix.
12). Sins 2005
Starring Shiney Ahuja and Seema Rehmani in the leading role. This 2005 film showcases the story of a Kerela priest who falls in love with a girl. Sins is a very erotic movie that was banned by the censor board in India.
Apart from that Catholic also didn’t take kindly to the film and was protested by the community.
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13) Urf Professor 2001
Pankaj Advani directed movie starring Manoj Pahwa, Antara Mali and Sharman Joshi in the leading roles got into trouble with the censor board.
The story revolves around a man who hit a car and wins a lottery and goes missing. Censor board finds harsh language, violence, a dark comedy which was the ultimate reason the nationwide ban. But it is rather funny and entertaining flick.
14) The Pink Mirror 2003
India doesn’t get a lot of independent projects but in 2003 Sridhar Rangyan directed The Pink Mirror to highlight the story of trans-sexuality. Sexual scenes and language become the issue that the censor board decided to ban the movie.
However, it generated rave reviews film festivals around the world. It has also gotten some great critics reviews across the world. Another one of the Bollywood Movies That Got Banned in India.
15) Parzania 2005
Anything based on the real events in India gets in trouble. Be it a historical drama like Padmavat or story of Gujrat riots.
This is a story of a boy named Azhar who goes missing after the Gujrat riots and chaos that follows. Parzania was celebrated around the world for brilliant storytelling, cinematography,
and direction. However, it was banned by the censor board and didn’t see the light of the day.
This movie also won the National Award. If you would like to watch this movie you can tune into Hotstar
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16) Gandu 2010
Gandu is a movie produced in India showcases the life of a teenage boy who is having a hard time finding the meaning of life.
This movie also goes from colour to black and white to showcase the mental state of the protagonist. This movie featured so much nudity, fellatio, harsh language among other things. This did not sit well with the censor board and it was never released in India except for some film festivals.
This movie, however, garners so much praise from international film festivals and critics across the globe. If you want to catch this flick, Gandu is available on Netflix.
17) Dazed in Doon 2010
Directed by Ashvin Kumar this movie shows what does it like to come of age in the prestigious Doon School in Dehradun.
This did not sit well with the Doon School administration as it was defaming the name of the prestigious school of the country. This led to the ban on the movie in the country.
18) Firaaq 2008
Based on the true incident happened during the Gujrat riot is the movie Firaaq. Directed by Nandita Das who was criticized for making this movie. Many people believed this movie hurt the sentiment of both the Hindu and Muslim communities.
This movie was banned initially and was released later on where it garnered so many positive reviews from critics. This movie was also premiered so many film festivals. Firaaq is one of the most celebrated films of Bollywood to be banned in India.
If you want to catch this movie, Firaaq is available on Youtube.
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So here you have it guys. Some of the infamous Bollywood Movies That Got Banned in India. Did we miss anything? Do let us know in the comment section below.
