Top 10 Bollywood Films That Faced Controversy Upon Release

Bollywood is a medium that reaches millions of people worldwide. They watch the films and form opinions related to them. Hence, it is natural that any controversial topic gets highlighted and magnified. In such a scenario, it often happens that the Censor Board or particular sections of the Indian public raise objections regarding themes or scenes shown in the films, seeking their ban.

Here are some Bollywood films that evoked controversy during release.

1. Udta Punjab Click to look into! >> Read More...

Udta Punjab is a 2016 film directed by Abhishek Chaubey Abhishek Chaubey, an Indian Film Director was born >> Read More... starring Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor also identifies as the name Shahid K >> Read More... and Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt is a trendsetting actress from Mumbai, >> Read More... along with Kareena Kapoor Khan Kareena Kapoor is a super hit actress working in I >> Read More... and Diljit Dosanjh Diljit Dosanjh, born on 6 January 1984, in Jalandh >> Read More... . The film shows the harm that drug abuse has had on Punjab’s youth. In an era when Punjab is struggling to become a drug-free state, this movie highlighted all the raging issues still present there. Hence, it faced opposition from several quarters. It also contained objectionable scenes and dialogues. The Censor Board asked for 94 cuts and 13 warnings in the film. The producers went to the Bombay High Court against the Censor Board, and the movie was allowed to release with a single cut only. The directors and producers of Bollywood rose up in arms against the Censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani Pahlaj Nihalani is a famous Bollywood movie produc >> Read More... , accusing him of being politically influenced. The movie also faced controversy due to an online leak before its release. The producers went to the Cyber Crime Cell, Mumbai, to sort out this issue.

2. Black Friday

This 2007 film by Anurag Kashyap Born on 10th September 1972, Anurag Kashyap has es >> Read More... is based on the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts. Though this film went to several film festivals and won accolades, it released in India after three years due to objection from the Censor Board. The verdict of the bomb blasts was pending at the time of release, and the accused raised objections as they thought public opinion would be influenced by watching their guilty portrayal in the film. The film also contained violent scenes and controversial dialogues which made the Censor Board apprehensive. However, it released after three years and gained wide critical acclaim.

3. Jodhaa Akbar Click to look into! >> Read More...

This is a 2008 historical movie by Ashutosh Gowariker Ashutosh Gowariker was born 15 February 1964 in Ko >> Read More... . Akbar was a Mughal Emperor who ruled India in the 16th century. There are several legends regarding his Hindu wife, Jodha Bai. The titular roles were played by Hrithik Roshan Hrithik Roshan with his unimaginable dance moves i >> Read More... and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a popular Indian actress >> Read More... . Some historians claimed that there is no evidence of a woman called Jodha Bai as Akbar’s wife. They believed that she was his son Jahangir’s Rajput wife. According to them, the name Jodha does not appear anywhere in history until the 18th century. Hence, the movie was accused of historical inaccuracy. Protests also erupted among the Rajput community against their inaccurate portrayal in the film. The movie was initially banned in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. The Supreme Court ultimately lifted the ban from some areas and allowed the film to release.

4. Water

Water is ‘ Deepa Mehta Deepa Mehta makes such pretty movies, when watchin >> Read More... ’s final film in the Elements trilogy, preceded by ‘Fire’, and ‘Earth’. Starring ‘ John Abraham Like some of our sexy stars, John Abraham has had >> Read More... ’, Seema Biswas She is very much popular by the name “Phoolan Devi >> Read More... , and Lisa Ray An actress, model, endorser, tv-host, philanthropi >> Read More... , this movie dealt with the plight of rural widows in an Indian ‘ashram’ located in Varanasi. The film had dark motifs concerned with ostracized women and rampant misogyny. It won awards in international film circuits but faced some controversy in India. The film was laden with controversies since its beginning. Location permits were hard to get, and adequate funding was unavailable. In an instance, thousands of protesters burned down the set of the film and destroyed all the equipment. Social activist Arun Pathak Arun Pathak is primarily a social crusader and a p >> Read More... held a suicide protest against the film as well. Ultimately, Mehta had to shoot in Sri Lanka under another title to protect her cast and crew members.

5. Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela

Shakespeare’s Romeo-Juliet was adapted by Sanjay Leela Bhansali Born on 24th February 1963, Sanjay Leela Bhansali >> Read More... in the form of this film. Ram Leela was released in 2013 and starred Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh Bhavnani is an Indian movie actor wh >> Read More... and Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress and model. S >> Read More... . Religious communities protested against the title of the movie as the word Ramleela refers to an enactment of Lord Ram’s victory over Ravana. The release was stayed due to several court petitions, and the title had to be modified before release. The movie was entirely banned in Uttar Pradesh. The community names used in the movie also had to be changed to fictional names due to their violent depiction.

6. Kurbaan

Kurbaan was a Dharma Productions film about terrorism. It released in 2009 and starred Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan is a film celebrity born to actress  >> Read More... and Kareena Kapoor. Apart from controversies related to the theme of the movie, it also faced problems when the payments made to Philadelphia City and local crew members turned out to be in bounced cheques. Two songs of the movie garnered controversy due to their bold scenes. The original poster featured Kareena Kapoor’s bare back, and it was deemed unsuitable for display. The producers were asked to modify these things before the film’s release.

7. Aarakshan

Aarakshan dealt with the issue of caste-based reservations that are seen in Indian society. This practice affects several young applicants in educational institutions and government offices. The sets of Aarakshan were demolished as they had been built on disputed land. The Dalit community opposed the casting of Saif Ali Khan as a Dalit teacher as he belongs to a royal family. The anti-reservation slogans and scenes were deemed risky as they might lead to riots in several states. The film’s screening was banned in Punjab and UP due to this reason.

8. Oh My God

This 2012 movie by Umesh Shukla Umesh Shukla is an Indian actor, writer, dialogue >> Read More... stars Paresh Rawal The Padma Shri award winner who shot to fame with >> Read More... and Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar was born on 9th September 1967 and hi >> Read More... in the lead roles. The movie was controversial as it talked at length about the role of religion in our society. It also highlighted several hypocrisies surrounding religious institutions. Police complaints were lodged against the lead actors for hurting the Hindus’ religious sentiments. The police notice asked the producers to remove certain dialogues and scenes. The actors were given protection by police after this incident. The Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the lead actors for actions against Hinduism. The movie was banned in the UAE for controversial content.

9. Madras Cafe Click to look into! >> Read More...

This 2013 thriller depicted the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, our former Prime Minister. It also showed the intervention of India in Sri Lanka’s civil war. The movie faced several protests due to its anti-Tamil nature. Many Tamil characters were portrayed as terrorists and villainous. The Censor Board ultimately approved the film’s release, but several South Indian places did not screen the film.

10. Nishabd Click to look into! >> Read More...

This 2007 movie by Ram Gopal Varma Ram Gopal Varma is a famed Indian film director an >> Read More... starred Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942 in A >> Read More... and Jiah Khan Jiah Khan was a British-American actress, singer >> Read More... . The theme of the movie was very controversial as it showed a relationship between a 60-year-old man and 18-year-old girl. Protests erupted in Allahabad and many parts of UP against the film as it promoted Western Culture. The movie was accused of being against Indian culture and its values. Amitabh Bachchan had to face a lot of flak for his role, but the movie ultimately released and got a lukewarm reception.