10 Bollywood movies that were banned by Central Board of Certification

Here are 10 Bollywood flicks which found difficulty to get certification for release through Central Board of Certification (CBFC) due to lack of documentation, offensive language or a bold scene. Some of these were later passed by the board , after suggested changes were made by the filmmakers.

Jun 23, 2018, 11:22 am ISTDid you Know?JhakaasMovies Staff

Bollywood Movies Banned

Bollywood is a big industry in which number of movies are made, produced and directed every year. In Indian Film Industry, you can see variety of content like, action movie, romantic movie, comedy movie, thriller or a horror movie. Nowadays, people like to watch content wise movies not only drama or a romantic movie. However, some of the movies turn out to be big hits while some are flops or some are average. Film’s that indulge in strong language, gender taboos or any religion, which are ahead of its times find it difficult to be released.

Here is the list of films which faced difficulties from Censor Board , few movies were later passed for release :
1. Padmaavat

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat (mostly known as Padmavati) stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor. The movie has faced a lot of controversy and protest by Karni Sena, who demanded complete ban of the film. The film director and actor Deepika got a threat call by the protestors. The film was set to be released on December 1 but Censor Board halted the film due to lack of documentation which was later completed and the film got an U/A certificate. The film released in theatre on January 25, with the change of name and some cosmetic change to the Ghoomar song. The film became one of the highest grossers of 2018.

2. Udta Punjab

Udta Punjab movie faced controversy by CBFC. The Censor Board demanded 94 cuts for Udta Punjab and also gave 13 suggestions to the film’s producer, which effectively mean a mammoth 94 cut along with a ‘A’ certification for the film that focusses on Punjab’s drug problem. However, the makers decided to move to the Tribunal instead. The Bombay High Court ordered the Censor board to clear Udta Punjab with just one cut and issue a fresh certificate to movie.

3. Lipstick Under My Burkha

In February 2017, Central Board of Certification (CBFC) denied ‘A’ certificate to Alankrita Srivastava’s ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ for being ‘lady oriented’ and ‘abusive’. The CBFC issued ‘A’ certificate to the movie after the changes were made. The film stars, Konakana Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur the film was released on July 2017. ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ premiered at the Tokyo and Mumbai Film Festivals, where it won the ‘Spirit of Asia Prize’ and the ‘Oxfam Award’ for Best Film on Gender Equality.

4. Water
Water
Deepa Mehta movie, Water created a lot of controversy because of its dark insights on the life of India widow. The script of the movie was written by fikmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who took up controversial issue like ostracism and misogyny. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005, where it was honoured with the opening night gala, and was released across Canada in November of that year. It was first released in India on March 9, 2007.

5. Sins (2005)
Sins
Sins is an erotic journey of a Kerala priest who falls for the charms of a woman and gets sexually involved with her. Filled with obsession, lust and his struggles with the norms of the society he lived in, Sins did not go down well with with the Catholics. They thought the film projected Catholicism in a very immoral light. The Censor Board too, had issues with the nude scenes in the film and hence the movie did not see the light of the day.

6. Firaaq (2008)
Firaaq
Another film to deal with the Gujarat riots, Firaaq was reportedly based on true incidents which happened in the riot-torn Gujarat. Nandita Das was widely criticised for hurting the sentiments of Hindus and Muslims and ultimately the movie got banned. But what came as a major achievement was the fact that the movie finally saw a release date and upon its release, garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.

7. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
Kamasutra
It was banned due to sexual content. The version that was later approved for release in India had cut of the 2 minute nudity.

8. Garam Hawa
Garm Hawa
The release was held up by the censors for 8 months. The film depicted a Muslim family during the partition of India.

9. Black Friday

The movie was based on the 1993 Bombay bombings. The released was blocked until the verdict of the lawsuit by the Bombay High Court on the petition of the under-trials. The film was originally set to be released in India on 28 January 2005. The producers appealed at the Supreme Court but the High Court order was upheld. The movie finally saw its release on 9 February 2007.

10 Kissa Kursi Ka

A political spoof, the film was banned by the Congress government for lampooning the Emergency. The master prints and all copies was lifted from the Censor Board office and burned by Sanjay Gandhi supporters. The movie was later remade with a different cast.