Top 10 Hindi movies that quoted controversies before their release!

No doubt ‘ Padmavati ’ can be termed as the most controversial movie of the decade. Right from the day, the movie mounted floors, there have been innumerable controversies around it. There are some fringe religious groups that claim that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has distorted historical facts and showed their revered queen Padmavati in a bad light. Padmavati is not the only Bollywood film that has met such fate at the hands of some fringe groups or fanatic people. The list of Hindi films which were marred by controversies before their release is really long. We have compiled here top ten Hindi movies that quoted controversies before their release.

1. My Name is Khan (2010)

This beautiful film by Karan Johar was troubled by the members of MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). The Maharashtra based political party created the havoc just because the movie was based on a sensitive topic, where a Muslim man is shown in a positive light. Cinema halls were attacked and the release of the movie was put to a halt for a few days.

2. Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

At the time of its release, the Rajputs in Rajasthan had blocked the screening of this big budgeted film, accusing Gowarikar of distorting history. As we know, Jodhaa was Akbar’s wife but according to them, Jodhaa was the daughter of Udai Singh of Marwar and was married to Salim, Akbar's son.

3. Bandit Queen (1994)

Depicting the real-life story of Phoolan Devi, a low-caste woman who rose to become one of the most feared dacoits of her time, Bandit Queen was helmed by Shekhar Kapoor. The movie was an adaptation of Mala Sen’s novel ‘India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi’. Though the film was highly appreciated, it created controversy for the brutal rape scene which was showcased in the film. The movie didn’t fake a bit about her story, despite being so true, Bandit Queen is on the list of most controversial movies of all time.

4. Ek Chhotisi Love Story (2002)

The movie showcases a coming-of-age story of a young boy who admires a married woman. The film turned out to be a controversial one as it contained some scenes showcasing the boy masturbating and fantasizing about the female lead i.e. Manisha Koirala. The high court asked the makers to cut all the adult scenes. Surprisingly, the movie got a good response at the box office.

5. Kissa Kursi Ka (1977)

This controversial film by Amrit Nahata starred Shabana Azmi in the lead. The film revolved around a corrupt and evil politician. The spoof is based on ’emergency’ and ‘Sanjay Gandhi’. The film was banned by the Indian Government (Congress) and all prints were confiscated.

6. Black Friday (2007)

This masterpiece by Anurag Kashyap was a hard-hitting crime drama, based on Hussain Zaidi’s novel. The movie narrates the horrific events in the history of Mumbai – The 1992-93 riots and bombings. Censor Board found it so controversial that the movie was blocked for 3 years. Kashyap was ready with the film in 2004, but due to its horrifying content, the director fought for 3 long years to get the film released.

7. Fire (1996)

This movie was the first installment of Deepa Mehta’s trilogy which was succeeded by Earth (1998) and Water (2005). It was one of the first mainstream Bollywood films to explicitly show homosexual relations. Many controversies rose during the release of the film. Even one of the main character’s names was changed from Sita to Nita. This movie too was put on hold by the Censor Boards and was finally released on 5th November 1998.

8. Garm Hava (1973)

This Urdu drama film was directed by M.S. Sathyu, the film narrates the story of many Muslim families who struggled to find a home for living and other troubles they come across after the 1947 Indo-Pak partition. Considered to be one of the best films made on the partition, the film was put on hold for 8 months due to its sensitive topic and communal issues. It later went to win many national and international accolades.

9. Water (2005)

This Deepa Mehta’s movie was third and the last installment in her trilogy. The movie shows the practice of Sati in Indian societies. Apart from Sati, the film also shows the practice of child marriage and prostitution and a widow falling in love with another guy. The movie became so controversial that it forced the makers to leave the country. It was then shot in Sri Lanka.

10. Sins (2005)

This Shiney Ahuja’s film was made by Vinod Pande. The movie depicts the unconventional love cum passionate affair of a young girl with an otherwise older priest. The film was protested against by those that felt it was a negative portrayal of Catholicism. It was banned due to its highly erotic content. Though Pande term the movie as a real incident of a Kerala based priest, his film never got the chance to hit the big screens.

And a bonus film for our readers who are firmly reading it till the very end.

11. Wake Up Sid (2009)

This film is comparatively least controversial! Keeping the mood light, we come up with Ayan Mukherjee’s Wake Up Sid. The movie was dragged into the specks of dirt of controversy by a Mumbai based political group just because the film used the word ‘BOMBAY’ instead of Mumbai. Though it was sorted later, just to bring to your knowledge, we put this movie in the list to show on how pity topics these fringe worthies can go.