From Water to Black Friday: 8 banned Bollywood movies accessible on OTT platforms

Just like The Kerala Story, which is facing strong opposition. From Water to Black Friday, and more, here are the ten Indian films that got banned in theatres but are available on OTT platforms.

Image: Youtube Video Still

This is true that many films got censored by the Censor Board of Film Certification over the past ten years. In contrast, neither the 1990s nor the early 2000s were like this. 

Movies that dealt with religion, sexuality, or other taboo subjects got swiftly pulled out from theatres. From Water to Black Friday and many more, here are the ten films that got banned in theatres but are available on OTT platforms.

1. Angry Indian Goddesses (Netflix - 2015):

Directed by Pan Nalin, this movie was subject to censorship in 2015. As many as 16 cuts from the movie have got ordered by the members.

2. Fire (Youtube - 1996):

This 1996 masterpiece deals with the theme of homosexuality. It is in itself an uncomfortable topic in India. It got rejected for release by the Censor Board of India and received backlash from the audience and media.

3. Black Friday (Hotstar - 2003):

This Anurag Kashyap movie got banned from Indian theatres. It got based on the 1995 blasts. It happened in Mumbai and the investigation that followed it. Although it got banned, upon release, it received positive reviews from critics and audiences across the globe.

4. Parzania (Hotstar, 2005): 

Parzania also faced the similar wrath of Indian censorship. It got based on the boy who got lost during the Gujarat riots. It faced huge opposition from Hindu right-wing groups as Rahul Dholakia said that he got inspired by real-life incidents of riots.

5. Loev (Netflix - 2015):

This beautifully intricate movie about a gay couple, directed by Sudhanshu Saria, was banned in Indian theatres. Later, it got released on Netflix in 2015.

6. Inshallah, football (YouTube - 2010):

This film depicts the life of a boy residing in Kashmir who got rejected for the training for international training. His father gets shown to be serving in the Indian Army. Made by Ashvin Kumar, this documentary film was censored due to the controversial period of its release date.

7. Kissa kursi ka (Youtube - 1978):

The CFBC has prohibited a variety of films in addition to those that deal with religion, sex, or homosexuality. For drawing comparisons between the lives of Sanjay and Indira Gandhi, Kissa Kursi Ka came under fire.

8. Water (Youtube - 2005):

This John Abraham starrer chronicles the life of a widow residing in Banaras and the hardships of her life. It shows the ill-treatment she receives and how she also finds love.

9. Gandu (Netflix - 2010):

This film wonders about the meaning of life but got banned due to the harsh language, nudity, and fellatio included in the film. These things never sit right with the Censor Board of India.

10. Unfreedom (2014):

Unfreedom, one of the more recent films on this list, was prohibited for many reasons. The most obvious one is that it has a terrorism theme. It is about a lesbian couple's relationship.