List of films banned in India

This is a list of films that have been or are banned in India. This list includes titles that were refused a rating by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) initially or permanently. The list also includes films whose release or production was or are blocked by the central or a state government, or by a legal institution. Also included are films which faced a virtual ban, after theatre owners were compelled to stop screening by non-government groups.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Nationwide

Date	Film	Notes
1959	Neel Akasher Neechey	It was banned for two months for overt political overtones; it showed the troubles faced by an immigrant Chinese wage laborer in 1930s Calcutta.[1]
1963	Gokul Shankar	It was banned for depicting the psychological motivations of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.[2]
1973	Garam Hawa	The release was held up by the censors for 8 months. The film depicted a Muslim family during the partition of India.[3]
1975	Aandhi	It was banned during Emergency by Indira Gandhi and subsequently released in 1977 after Janata Party came into power.[4]
1977	Kissa Kursi Ka	A political spoof, the film was banned by the Congress government for lampooning the Emergency.[5] The master prints and all copies was lifted from the Censor Board office and burned by Sanjay Gandhi supporters.[6] The movie was later remade with a different cast.
1971	Sikkim	The film was banned after Sikkim's merger in India in 1975, as it showed the Chogyal-ruled Sikkim as a sovereign state. The ban was lifted in September 2010.[7]
1984	Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom	It was banned temporarily for its "negative" depiction of Indians. The ban was later rescinded.[8]
1987	Pati Parmeshwar	It was denied a rating by the Censor for depicting a woman in "ignoble servility" of her husband. Later, Bombay High Court allowed its release.[9][10]
1993	Kuttrapathirikai	The film was completed in 1993. As it had Rajiv Gandhi's[11] assassination as a backdrop, it was not released until 2007.
1994	Bandit Queen	It was banned temporarily by the Delhi High Court after Phoolan Devi, the subject of the film's story, challenged its authenticity.[12]
1996	Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love	It was banned due to sexual content. The version released in India had 2 minute cut of nudity.
1996	Fire	On its opening day in India, some film theatres were attacked by Hindu fundamentalists for depicting a lesbian relationship.[13] The film was withdrawn and sent back to the Censor Board.[14] But, later it was released uncut.[15]
2001	Paanch	It was banned for glorifying drugs, sex and violence, later certified with cuts but went unreleased.[16]
2003	Hawayein	The film, set against the backdrop to the 1984 Sikh genocide, is banned in the Indian states of Delhi, J&K, Haryana and Punjab.[17]
2004	The Pink Mirror	The film was denied a rating for its homosexual content.[18]
2004	Final Solution	The documentary film was banned by the Censor Board for being provocative and under concerns that it may trigger communal violence.[19] It was based on the 2002 Gujarat violence. But, it was cleared after some months.[20]
2004	Hava Aney Dey	The movie was not approved by the Censor Board because the director didn't accept the suggested 21 cuts.[21]
2005	Black Friday (2004 film)	The movie was based on the 1993 Bombay bombings. The released was blocked until the verdict of the lawsuit by the Bombay High Court on the petition of the under-trials.[22] The film was originally set to be released in India on 28 January 2005.[23] The producers appealed at the Supreme Court but the High Court order was upheld. The movie finally saw its release on 9 February 2007.[24]
2005	Amu	This movie was based on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots initially was denied a rating. The film was later given an adult rating after some audio-cuts.[25][26][27]
2005	Water	The movie faced opposition during its shooting from hardline Hindu organizations in Varanasi. The sets were destroyed.[28] The Uttar Pradesh government decided to stop the shooting on 31 January 2000.[29] The shooting was shifted to Sri Lanka later. The movie was released in India much later in March 2007.
2009	Had Anhad	The Central Board of Film Certification refused a certificate to this Shabnam Virmani documentary without cuts. In 2011, Delhi High Court allowed the film to be released uncut and asked the Union of India to pay ₹10,000 to the petitioner as legal fees.[30]
2010	Gandu	The film was banned in India due to explicit sexual scenes.[31]
2011	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo	It was banned for its adult scenes of rape and torture. The Central Board of Film Certification demanded that these scenes be cut, which the director David Fincher refused to do.[32]
2011	Chatrak	The movie wasn't allowed theatrical release due to its sexual content.[33]
2013	Papilio Buddha	Initially banned due to its criticism of Mahatma Gandhi. It was allowed release after the anti-Gandhi speeches were muted and/or blurred.[34]
2014	No Fire Zone	The Sri Lankan Civil War documentary was not allowed for public screening by the Censor Board. Director Callum Macrae decided to release the film on the internet to circumvent the ban.[35]
2014	Kaum De Heere	The film was banned by the central government after the Intelligence Bureau had warned that the film may cause communal tensions. The film glorified the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[36]
2015	50 Shades of Grey	The film was not given a rating by the Censor Board, even after voluntary cuts by the distributor.[37]
2015	Main Hoon Rajinikanth	Notable south Indian actor Rajinikanth moved the Madras High Court to stop the release of this film stating that it violated his personality rights. A stay was granted, and the makers of the movie were directed not use superstar's name, image or likeness.[38] The director Faisal Saif later said he had shown the film to the actor and his lawyers to assure them. The film's title was later changed to Main Hoon (Part-Time) Killer.[39]
2015	Unfreedom	The film was denied a rating by the Censor Board. The film examined same sex relationships and religious fundamentalism in India. The director Raj Amit Kumar was told by the Board that film will cause clashes between Hindus and Muslims, and will provoke "unnatural passions".[40][41]
2015	India's Daughter	This television documentary about the 2012 Delhi gang rape was prevented from being broadcast by a stay order from a court,[42] due to perceived negative public sentiment[43][44] including remarks defending the rape[44][45] which drew public outcry in India when the film was shown.[46] The movie was uploaded to YouTube and the Indian government requested it be removed.[47]
2015	Patta Patta Singhan Da Vairi	The movie was initially denied clearance by CBFC, but was later cleared by the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).[48]
2015	The Mastermind Jinda Sukha	The film was cleared by the CBFC but by banned by the Minister of Home Affairs. The films is based on the lives of the assassins of Arun Shridhar Vaidya. The makers of the film decided to release it overseas.[49]
2015	The Painted House	The CBFC denied a rating to film for containing nudity. They suggested the scenes should be blurred or deleted.[50]
2016	Mohalla Assi	The CBFC denied a rating to the film. The film deals with the commercialisation of the pilgrimage city Varanasi.[51]

Regional

Provinces of British India

• 1921 - Bhakta Vidur: Banned in Karachi and Madras for political reasons.^[52] the film came right after Jallianwala Bagh massacre and Rowlatt act. The character Vidura was moulded upon personality of Mahatma Gandhi.^[53]
• 1939 - Thyagabhoomi: Banned in Madras, 22 weeks after release for supporting Congress, independence movement.^[54]

Andhra Pradesh

• 2006 - The Da Vinci Code: It was banned after Christian and Muslims religious fundamentalist groups lodge a protest.^[55] Later, the ban was lifted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.^[56]
• 2011 - Aarakshan: It was banned on 11 August 2011 due to concerns that it may hurt weaker sections of the society.^[57] On 14 August 2011, the ban was revoked.^[58]

Assam

• 1952 - Runumi: The film was suddenly banned by then government of Assam headed by chief minister Bishnuram Medhi due to some unknown reason.^[59][60][61]
• 2005 - Tango Charlie: The film was allegedly poorly researched and defamed the Bodo community.^[62]

Chhattisgarh

• 2015 - MSG-2 The Messenger :Film was banned in Chhattisgarh^[63] for hurting sentiments of Adivasi community (Tribal community).^[64]

Goa

• 2006 - The Da Vinci Code: It was banned considering "public sentiments" after protests by Christian organisations.^[65][66]

Gujarat

• 2005 - Chand Bhuj Gaya: This film which was set with the Godhra train burning as a backdrop was not released in Gujarat.^[67]
• 2006 - Fanaa: It faced an unofficial ban due to the role of Aamir Khan, the lead actor, in the Narmada Bachao Andolan.^[68] Supreme Court of India directed that theatres wanting to screen the film should be provided police protection. But, most theatre owners decided not to screen it.^[69]
• 2007 - Parzania: Parzania faced an unofficial ban after Bajrang Dal coaxed theatre owners to stop screening the film. Bajrang Dal activist Babu Bajrangi had the opinion that it may disrupt communal harmony in the state.^[70]
• 2009 - Firaaq: Firaaq was allegedly not released by many theatres due to political pressure because it depicted the 2002 Gujarat riots. But, theatre owners cited a revenue sharing dispute.^[71][72]

Jharkhand

• 2015 - MSG-2 The Messenger : Film was banned in Jharkhand^[73] for hurting sentiments of Adivasi community (Tribal community).^[64]

Kerala

• 2012 - Pithavinum Puthranum : The films originally completed in 2012 is awaiting approval from the Censor Board as of January 2015.^[74] The film was reported based on a book by Sister Jesme and the Sister Abhaya murder case.^[75]
• 2015 - Chayam Poosiya Veedu was not given a certificate since there was a nude scene in it.^[76]

Madhya Pradesh

• 2008 - Jodhaa Akbar: The film was banned after protests from the Rajput community over Jodha Bai's depiction as Akbar's wife.^[77] The Supreme Court later lifted the ban.^[78]
• 2015 - MSG-2 The Messenger: The film was banned as it was an insult to Adivasis (Tribals).^[79][80]

Maharashtra

• 2008 - Deshdrohi: The film was banned in November fearing breakdown of law and order in the state. The film depicted the attacks against North Indians in the state.^[81] The ban was lifted in January 2009 by the Bombay High Court.^[82]

Nagaland

• 2006 - The Da Vinci Code: It was banned for portraying Jesus Christ and Christians in an 'objectionable' manner.^[83]

Punjab

• 2006 - The Da Vinci Code: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh banned the film after an appeal by the Punjabi Roman Catholic leaders.^[84]
• 2011 - Aarakshan: On 11 August 2011, the film was banned for hurting the feelings of the weaker sections of the society.^[85] But, the ban was lifted on 14 August 2011 after a preview screening.^[86]
• 2013 - Sadda Haq: On 4 April, Punjabi film Sadda Haq was banned in Punjab by the state government.^[87] The ban was lifted by the Supreme Court on 28 April 2013, after a special screening in the court.^[88]
• 2015 - MSG: The Messenger: The Punjab government banned Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's film MSG: The Messenger in the state.^[89][90][91]
• 2015 - Nanak Shah Fakir: In April 2015, Punjab government and Chandigarh administration suspended the screening of Nanak Shah Fakir for two months.^[92][93]
• 2015 - MSG-2 The Messenger: On the release day, the film was banned by Mansa administration in Punjab but ban was lifted later.^[94] However, movie theatres owners refused to screen movie in Punjab citing law and order problems.^[95][96][97]
• 2016 - Santa Banta Pvt Ltd: The film was banned by the state government for portraying Sikhs in a denigrating and defamatory manner.^[98]

Rajasthan

• 2008 - Jodhaa Akbar: The film was not released after theatre owners received letters written in blood from Karni Sena.^[99][100]

Tamil Nadu

• 1987 - Ore Oru Gramathile: It banned for criticizing caste based reservations. The Supreme Court of India later allowed its release.^[101]
• 2006 - The Da Vinci Code: It was banned after concerns that it may hurt religious sentiments.^[102] Later, Madras High Court allowed its screening.^[103]
• 2011 - Dam 999: It was banned for allegedly spreading fear among people regarding the Mullaperiyar dam.^[104]
• 2013 - Vishwaroopam: The film was banned after objections were expressed by Muslim groups regarding the portrayal of the Muslim community in a bad light.^[105][106] The movie was later released after seven scenes were cut.^[107]
• 2013 - Madras Cafe: The film, which is set in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War, was not released in the state after several groups protested that the film portrayed the Tamil Tigers in a bad light.^[108]

Uttar Pradesh

• 2007 - Aaja Nachle: The movie was banned because the lyrics of the title song was allegedly humiliating the Dalits. The lyrics were later changed.^[109] The ban was lifted later after the producers apologized.^[110]
• 2008 - Jodhaa Akbar: The film was banned fearing breach of peace after protests from a Rajput group.^[111][112] The Supreme Court later lifted the ban.^[78]
• 2011 - Aarakshan: It had been banned due to objectionable dialogues.^[113] Later, Supreme Court lifted the ban.^[114] The film was based on the topic of reservations in jobs and education.

West Bengal

• 1992 - City of Joy: The shooting was banned in Calcutta for a while due to negative portrayal of the city.^[115]
• 2013 - Kangal Malsat: In February 2013, a revising committee of the CBFC refused to pass the film citing excessive use of abusive language, sexuality and frivolous approach in portraying of social movements. The film was cleared later by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after some edits.^[116][117]

See also

• Censorship in India
• Cinema of India
• List of books banned in India
• List of banned films
• Film censorship
• Moral police

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