The Kerala Story ban: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ to ‘Bandit Queen’-9 movies that were banned in India

In addition to the viewers, the CBFC has previously prohibited films from being released in India for various bizarre motives. Explicit material, sexual content, and religious themes are just a few reasons some films have been banned in India. Unexpectedly, this list also includes several Hollywood productions.  

Image: Google Images

Even though these films were denied a release date in our country, they were well-received abroad and praised by critics and film festivals. After attending film festivals, some of the first prohibited films were later released in India. Let's see which nine of these films are on this list.

Fire
Director: Deepa Mehta
Cast: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das
Release date: November 5, 1998
Why was it banned: With her film, Deepa Mehta became embroiled in several debates. Although fire received much praise worldwide, it was a contentious issue in India. Hindu organisations were upset with the movie's message. Fire discussed a lesbian connection between two Hindu sisters-in-law. Even their director Deepa Mehta, Nandita Das, and Shabana Azmi, received death threats. The movie was released in theatres but was pulled after numerous protests. The film wasn't edited when it was released in 1999, a few years later.

Black Friday
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Pavan Malhotra, Kishor Kadam
Release date: August 13, 2004 (Locarno)
Why was it banned: Black Friday was another Anurag Kashyap film outlawed in India. The well-known book Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bombings by S Hussain Zaidi inspired the movie. Because the 1993 Bombay blasts and how they were orchestrated were mentioned in the film, the Indian censor board deemed it too dark and requested a stay from The Bombay High Court.

Lipstick Under My Burkha
Director: Alankrita Shrivastava
Cast: Ratna Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aahana Kumra
Release date: October 2016 (Mumbai Film Festival)
Why was it banned: Before its release, the film underwent more than 60 edits, generating much buzz. Due to its discussion of feminine desire and specific extremely graphic sequences, the movie was outlawed. Four female characters from various age ranges and their unrestrained sexual exploration were at the film's centre. 

Kama Sutra – A Tale Of Love
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Ramon Tikaram, Rekha
Release date: February 28, 1997 (United States)
Why was it banned: Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love by Mira Nair was scrutinised. The movie's release was controversial in the nation that gave birth to the Kama Sutra notion. The film, which focused on the lives of four lovers in the sixteenth century, was outlawed for having explicit sexual material.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård
Release date: December 21, 2011 (United States)
Why was it banned: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by David Fincher is one of many Hollywood films India has outlawed. The Central Board of Film Certification took issue with the movie's adult rape and torture scenes. The director refused to delete these moments, despite the board's demands.

Parzania
Director: Rahul Dholakia
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika, Corin Nemec, Raj Zutshi, Parzan Dastur
Release date: 26 November, 2005 (film festival)
Why was it banned: One of India's most terrifying events was the Gujrat riots. The plot of Parzania revolves around a youngster named Azhar who vanishes during the riots in Gujarat in 2002. Public employees thought that the movie might disturb racial harmony in the state. Despite receiving a National Award, the film was unofficially outlawed because Bajrang Dal pushed theatre owners to stop showing it.

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden
Release date: February 9, 2015 (Los Angeles)
Why was it banned: The movie was outlawed in India due to its numerous graphic sexual scenes, including bondage images. Despite the voluntary cuts, the Censor Board did not rate the movie.