To release any movie in India, the film makers need to get a certificate from the Censor Board. After watching the movie, the censor board suggests some changes, cuts and gives the certificate accordingly. Some movies get clearance very easily while some have to face the wrath of the board due to their unique concept or the storyline.
The recent example of the movie that went through the censor board “atyachar” was Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer ‘Haraamkhor’. The movie has already impressed the viewers at varied national and international screen shows and has won different awards, but our respected Censor Board did not find it suitable as per Indian audience and banned it while tagging it as “provocative’. Ultimately, the movie had to get clearance from Film Certification Apellate Tribunal (FCAT) with U/A certificate and now it will release in January 2017.
Watch :- Haraamkhor Trailer
This is not the first time, when any movie has gone through such problems. Let’s have a look at 10 other movies, which faced the same controversy and struggled a lot before seeing the light of the day.
- Udta Punjab
With an order of 91 cuts, the movie drew a lot of attention. The case even reached the high court and all the film industry came together to support the director Anurag Kashyap. Though the movie finally got clearance from the censor board with one cut and an ‘A Certificate’, people from Punjab raised another issue and demanded ban on the movie.
- Bandit Queen
This is one of the most controversial movies based on the real life story of the lady dacoit Phoolan Devi. The movie got many cuts and criticism of the censor board due to rape scenes and abusive language.
- Fire
Based on lesbian and homosexual relations, this movie faced a lot of protests and public anger due to the bold subject. Though the censor board allowed release of the movie without any cuts, on public demand, it was again sent back to the censor board for re-examination. Fire finally released on 12 February, 1999 without any cuts.
- Sholay
Yes, you read it right. The most successful movie of its time also faced interruption of censor board. The CBFC didn’t like the climax calling it too violent and demanded some changes. Finally, the film makers had to change the climax where instead of the planned climax with a lot of bloodshed, the police arrive in the nick of the time.
- Water
Based on the dark insights of the life of Indian Widow, Deepa Mehta’s movie faced public anger and protest. The situation was so difficult that around 2000 fanatics spoiled the sets in Varanasi and the shooting had to be completed in Shri Lanka. Even after completion, it had to tackle the censor board drama that was completely unaware of issues like ostracism and misogyny.
- Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Not just the bold concepts, our “Sanskari” censor board also gets furious with the words like ‘lesbian’, ‘Haryana ke pilley’ and ‘Ghanta’ and wrath of this had to bear the movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha. The audience is so innocent that it has never heard these words and CBFC does not want the youth to get spoilt and demanded deletion of the words from the movie.
- Queen
Haw, how can you dare to show bra in a movie? Our CBFC had problem with that too and it asked the film makers to blur out the bra shown in the bathroom scene where Kangana Ranaut is holding a bra in her hand.
- The Jungle Book
Now Mr. Pahlaj Nihalani has problem with the animate film The Jungle Book also. He found some of the scenes in the 3D movie to be too scary for the kids that he gave a Universal Adult rating to the movie. Now someone should tell him that modern kids are braver than him.
- Finding Fanny
You can never know what can make our Censor Board feel bad. Either the movie makers are too advanced or the CBFC is still living in the previous century. They demanded the word “virgin” to be removed from the script of the movie to allow its release in the theaters.
- Jai Gangaajal
The film makers are completely pissed off with Mr. Pahlaj Nihalani. He asked for11 cuts in the movie. However, the movie finally got released with only two cuts; it irked the director Prakash Jha. He said that the CBFC chief is not handling his responsibilities and giving more importance to his personal agenda.