13 Flicks That Faced Theatrical Bans But Are Available On OTT
Posted On: 30 Aug 2023 | Last Updated : 30 Aug 2023 | Views : 933
Ever since movies came into existence the censor board has played a crucial role in deciding what can be shown to the public and what not. Being a member of the censor is never easy and at the same time being a filmmaker isn't easy either who faces the daunting prospect of being banned from a theatrical release. The films that got banned by the censor in the 70s, 80s, and 90s often stayed in the cans incurring huge losses to the makers but times have changed since then. The films that faced a ban for having unsuitable content for the audiences have found solace on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. A few banned Bollywood films that were denied a theatrical release went the OTT way to captivate audiences with their unfiltered narratives. Here, we delve into a few such known and unknown movies that were banned by the Censor Board of Film Certification but are available on OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar, YouTube, and others.
1. Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain (1974) – Youtube
Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial debut Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain probably figures among the first theatrical banned movies of Bollywood. The 1974 crime thriller starring Kabir Bedi, Prema Narayan, and Gulshan Arora was about two fugitives and their relationship with a prostitute which the censor board found to be too bold and taboo for the then audience. After battling for two years with the censor board the makers could release it theatrically that was too little too late. The film currently is available on YouTube.
2. Kissaa Kursee Kaa (1977) – Youtube
Another film that dubiously was ranked among the top 10 Indian movies banned in theatres but available on OTT was Amrit Nahata’s Kissaa Kursee Kaa. The film which was a satire on the politics of Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi was banned by the then Government during the Emergency period. Despite having well-known stars like Shabana Azmi, Utpal Dutt, Raj Kiran, Manohar Singh, and Surekha Sikri, the film prints were confiscated and later reportedly reshot in parts but found no takers. The film is available on YouTube for all to watch.
3. Fire (1996) – Youtube
Fire was based on an explicit lesbian relationship starring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das. The film was one of the first installments of Deepa Mehta's trilogy which ended up becoming one of the top 10 Indian movies that were banned in theatres after release. Though the film was passed uncut by the censor board with an ‘A’ certificate, many activists burnt the film’s posters and staged several protests raising slogans of shutting down the screening and banning it. The film currently is available on YouTube for all to watch.
4. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996) - Amazon Prime
Mira Nair’s erotic romantic drama Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love released in 1996 also happens to feature among the top 10 Bollywood movies banned in theatres but available on OTT. Starring Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Ramon Tikaram, Rekha, and Indira Varma, the film found itself amid controversies before its release in India while the audiences found it too bold and as a result had to be withdrawn from the theatres. The film is currently available on Amazon Prime.
5. Paanch (2003) – Youtube
Loosely inspired by the Joshi-Abhyankar serial murder case in Pune, Anurag Kashyap’s directorial debut Paanch remains theatrically unreleased to date. Starring Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Tejaswini Kolhapure, and Joy Fernandes, the film faced several objections by CBFC for its violence, depiction of drug abuse, and foul language. Despite being screened at several film festivals and having some amazing score by Vishal Bhardwaj Paanch has developed a cult following over the years with people watching it on Youtube.
6. Black Friday (2004) – Netflix
Based on author Hussain Zaidi’s book Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, another Anurag Kashyap directorial that never got released in theatres, thanks to CBFC. Black Friday revolved around the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts and the subsequent police investigation was stalled by the Mumbai High Court when one of the accused stated that the film could prejudice the case. The film which starred Pawan Malhotra, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Kishore Kadam, and Zakir Hussain in crucial roles has found a cult following over the years on YouTube as well as Netflix.
7. Water (2005) – Youtube
Deepa Mehta’s Water ran into trouble while shooting in Banaras with Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das when Hindu fundamentalists reportedly stalled the shoot accusing its makers of depicting widows in a wrong manner. The story and cast were later changed and revolved around the life of a Banarasi widow (played by Lisa Ray) who is ill-treated for no fault of hers and later finds love in the form of John Abraham. Water is available on YouTube and surely deserves a watch.
8. Parzania (2005) - Disney Hotstar
Director Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania faced a similar ban by the censor board just before its release in 2005. The film’s story was based on a Parsi family who lost their son during the Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra Train Burning incident. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika, Parzaan Dastur, and Sheeba Chaddha in the main cast, Parzania received a go-ahead for digital viewership and currently is available in India on Disney Hotstar.
9. Gandu (2010) – Netflix
Shot in black-and-white Qaushiq Mukherjee’s art drama film Gandu featuring Anubrata, Joyraj, Kamalika, Silajit, and Rii in the lead roles found itself banned by the censors for inclusion of foul language, nudity, and other inappropriate content. The film was never released in India except in a couple of film festivals around the world. However, the film was digitally available in bits and pieces on YouTube before becoming fully available on Netflix.
10. Un-freedom (2014) – Netflix
Director Raj Amit Kumar’s Un-Freedom centered around a lesbian couple and their relationship with a terrorism angle also made it to the list of banned films in India. Starring Victor Banerjee, Adil Hussain, Bhanu Uday, and Preeti Gupta in the main cast, the Indian censor board recommended certain cuts before certifying it as an ‘A’ film which the makers refused to do so and as a result, it got a release only in North America. The film subsequently was released on YouTube before making its way to Netflix.
11. Loev (2015) – Netflix
Written and directed by Sudhanshu Saria and starring Dhruv Ganesh and Shiv Panditt, Loev revolves around a budding romance of a gay couple who are now in completely different phases of their lives. The makers tried for a theatrical release but didn’t get the censor's nod and apparently released back in 2015 only on Netflix.
12. Angry Indian Goddess (2015) – Netflix
Director Pan Nalin’s female multi-starrer Angry Indian Goddesses also makes it to the list of top 10 Bollywood movies that were banned in theatres but available on OTT. Technically, the film never faced a ban from the Indian theatres, but the makers weren’t happy with the infinite cuts recommended by the censors on their film. The objectification of men and the pictures of Indian Goddesses was one of the reasons for the censor board to go hard on the film. Despite having an all-female star cast including Sandhya Mridul, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sarah-Jane Dias, Anushka Manchanda, Amrit Maghera, and Rajshri Deshpande, the film nose-dived at the box office but found a liking by many on Netflix.
13. Garbage (2018) - Netflix
Controversial director Qaushik Mukherjee’s Garbage found itself into controversial waters since it was announced. This erotic drama which unfolds the story of a woman grappling with the aftermath of her sex tape going viral yet again was termed as objectionable by the censor board. Primarily having a Bengali star cast of Tanmay Dhanania, Trimala Adhikaari, and Satarupa Das, the film showcased an unapologetic portrayal of human desires and the darker aspects of society. While many traditional cinemagoers missed watching it in the theatres but caught the fancy of many on Netflix.
