From Aandhi to The Kashmir Files, Bollywood Movies that Sparked Controversy

Indian films have a long record of controversies – be it personal life or professional life, the public analyses every depth. We have recently seen an enormous uproar on The Kashmir Files and Sacred Games and the recent Pathaan, but other films explored political and social subjects and faced massive uproar. We have compiled a roaster from the era of 70’s Aandhi to the highest grosser of 2022, The Kashmir Files, Bollywood movies that sparked controversy; scroll down for the complete details:

Aandhi (1975)

The plot revolves around a female political leader who resembles former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The film touched on various subjects, such as her unhappy relationship with her husband. Some scenes showed female politician smoking and drinking, which was completely banned during the National Emergency.

Bandit Queen (1994)

Bandit Queen (1994) is a film premised on Phoolan Devi’s life. Bandit Queen is among the most controversial films due to lead actress Seem Biswas’s nude scenes. Phoolan was a victim of child marriage and has been subjected to sexual and exploitative abuse. Bandit Queen, directed by Shekhar Kapur, tells the tale of a woman who turns into a bandit due to her social circumstances.

The Kama Sutra: A Love Story (1996)

As the title implies, the film was banned due to its sexual content. The plot is premised on Wajida Tabassum’s book Utran. It depicts full-frontal nudity and characters making love. The nudity was cut for two minutes in the Indian version.

Sins (2005)

The film was influenced by an actual incident in which a Catholic priest was attracted to a young woman, and it includes a few bold scenes. The film stirred up controversy among India’s Christian community and obtained an A certificate from the Censor Board.

Black Friday (2007)

Anurag Kashyap’s highly sensitive crime thriller Black Friday portrays one of Mumbai’s most horrific chapters, the 1992-93 riots and blasts. The film was censored as the censor board feared a nationwide revolt. Moreover, before being released in 2007, it had to undergo several screenings.

Dirty Picture (2012)

The Dirty Picture is among her most controversial films. It was modeled on the life of Silk Smitha. The posters were provocative and bold, which infuriated the actress’s family. Silk Smitha’s brothers sent a legal notice to the film’s producers because the content enrages them.

Sacred Games Season 2 (2019)

Season 2 of The Sacred Games stirred up a great deal of uproar among the audience. A BJP leader had lodged a police complaint against Anurag Kashyap for his demeaning portrayal of Sikh culture. One scene featured Saif tossing his Kada into the sea, which was insulting to the Sikh community and was not taken lightly.

The Kashmir Files (2022)

Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files’ is premised on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the peak of militancy in the 1990s. The movie was accused of stirring up communal sentiments. However, the movie garnered several crores at the box office and ranked among the most highly successful movie of 2022.