One can say that the Censor Board of Film Certification has reduced the number of banned films in the last decade. However, this was not the case in the 90s or early 2000s. Films that talked about s*xuality and religion were removed from theatrical release. At the same time, many films are getting green signal from CFBC. For those who missed the big screen to watch such movies, we have online streaming platforms. In fact, here we have a list of some of the best CBFC banned movies that you can watch on the OTT platform.
Unfreedom – Netflix
One of the most recent films on this list, Unfreedom, was banned for more than one reason. The most obvious thing is that it revolves around a gay couple and their relationship and it has links to terrorism. We believe this is a great moment for art lovers.
Angry Indian Goddesses – Netflix
Angry Indian gods and goddesses faced bans from Indian cinemas, but the makers were worried about their film. According to Sarkar, hints of objectification of men and scenes of Indian gods and goddesses were several censors of this film.
Gandu – Netflix
How often does it happen that we wonder what the meaning of life really is? Maybe that’s often enough for someone to make a film on it and Gandu is just that. However, the inclusion of harsh language, nudity and profanity among other things did not go down well with the censor board and the film was never released in India.’
fire – youtube
With parts of India still uncomfortable with the idea of homos*xuality, it was difficult for Fire to survive when it was released. The film was refused clearance for release by the Censor Board after it received hate from the Indian press and audience. It was a very risky move as the film showed homos*xuality as well as religion, two very sensitive issues in India. However, the film was released worldwide and won several awards as well.
water – youtube
John Abraham is famous for choosing scripts with good stories. Not only Madras Cafe, Atomic and Smoking, Water was one such John Abraham film. The story of this film is on the life of a Banarasi widow, how she is treated badly and finds love for no fault of hers. The shooting of the film was put on hold after protests by Hindu fundamentalists. The film is available on YouTube and is well worth watching.
Kissa Kursi Ka – YouTube
CFBC doesn’t just ban movies about homos*xuality, gender or religion. ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ came under fire for showing parallels with the lives of Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. The film was scheduled to release in 1978 during the year of Emergency. This was a time when even Congress had control over media releases and all reels for the film were confiscated. If you want to watch the movie then it is available on youtube.
lowe’s netflix
It is the only film on this list which shows the life of a gay couple. Lowe was released back in 2015, but only on Netflix. Makers tried for theatrical release but to no avail. It depicts the romance of two old friends, who are now in completely different stages of life.
Inshallah, Football – Youtube
So the subject matter of this documentary didn’t play as much of a hand in stopping it as its release date did. The story depicts the life of a Kashmiri boy who is denied the opportunity of international football training because his father was a servant in the Indian Army. The film is available on YouTube.
Parzania – Youtube
The recent controversies surrounding Padmavat, Jodhaa Akbar are proof of how any film based on Indian history faces opposition. Parzania also faced similar wrath as it was based on the story of a boy who gets lost during the Gujarat riots. It is available on Hotstar in India.
Black Friday – Hotstar
Another film that was barred from release in Indian cinema. We are talking about Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday, which was to release in 2003. It is based on the 1995 blasts and subsequent investigations. It never released on the big screen but is available through OTT platforms and is a well made film that you must watch.