TOP 10: 10 Bollywood Movies Which Were Banned In India But Were Hits Abroad

Bollywood is the largest film industry worldwide in terms of number of films produced. There are some movies that become blockbusters at the box office, while there are some movies that do average business. Then there are more flops, but there are movies that fail to release on the big screen. Yes, there are many movies in India that have been banned in the name of adult content or obscenity. But despite the criticism and negative comments, they somehow made it overseas and became a hit.

Here Take A Look In The List of Bollywood Movies Which Were Banned In India But Were Hits Abroad

1. Fire (1996)

Deepa Mehta is well known for producing movies with content and controversy worldwide. ‘Fire’ is a film that has gained a lot of appreciation and recognition worldwide. But it failed to impress the people of India and faced many negative comments. The film was rejected by the Indian Censor Board, so was not released in India. It was a controversial story that depicted a homosexual relationship between two sisters-in-law in a Hindu family. Many Hindu parties, (such as Shiv Sena) protested and eventually banned the film before its release. If it was released, there would have been a lot of uproar.

2. Kama Sutra – Love Story (1996)

As the name suggests, this movie ‘Kama Sutra – A Tale of Love’ also faced the wrath of the Indian public who called it ‘immoral’. Mira Nair’s movie was a huge hit abroad but was banned in the country. Ironically, the Kamasutra was written in ancient India. The film featured erotic scenes, due to which it was not released in India.

3. Water (2005)

‘Water’ is another Deepa Mehta movie that received negative reviews because of its subject matter of Indian widows in Benares. It dealt with themes such as ostracism and sexism, which the Indian Censor Board claimed to be too sensitive at the time. Although the movie did not release in India, it was released worldwide and was well-received.

4. Gandu (2010)

The movie was a black-and-white Bengali film – famous for its stunning visuals and narration. Although it did not release in India, people abroad appreciated the idea. It was an official selection at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival and was also screened at the Slamdance Film Festival. Although this film is mainly in Bengali, it has been dubbed in various languages. There is a ‘sex’ scene in this film, which is very viral.

5. Black Friday (2004)

Anurag Kashyap’s movie was banned in India for being extremely violent and sensitive. The movie ‘Black Friday’ is based on the famous book of the same name, which was based on the true story of the Bombay blasts. The movie faced rejection from the Bombay High Court due to the 1993 Bombay Blasts case. Although it was not released in India, it became a big hit abroad.

6. Parzania (2005)

‘Parzania’ is based on a true story of a boy named Azhar who went missing during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Censor Board declared it a sensitive and violent film. But some states of the country have somehow got relief. The film even won a National Award but was not considered worthy enough by political parties to release in Gujarat. Naseeruddin Shah acted in this film.

7. Bandit Queen (1994)

‘Bandit Queen’ was a biopic of Phoolan Devi – the dreaded female bandit of Chambal. The movie was banned by the Indian Censor Board due to its sexual and objectionable content. Although the film garnered negative comments and criticism in the country, it was widely praised outside the country.

8. Sin (2005)

‘Sins’ is the journey of a Kerala priest who falls for the charms of a woman and becomes physically involved with her. Sins also did not go down well with Catholics and the Censor Board, who had problems with scenes in the film. Due to this this film was released in India but was banned again.

9. Dazed in Dun (2010)

The movie depicts the life of a boy studying at Doon School, one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Doon School was against the release of the movie and also protested its ban and was ultimately successful. ‘Dazed in Dun’ had some scenes of drug use and nudity which were not acceptable to the Censor Board.

10. Paanch (2003)

‘Paanch’ is another movie on our list that faced rejection from the Censor Board. Anurag Kashyap’s movie is said to be based on the 1997 Joshi-Avankar serial murder. The movie was full of extreme brutality and gore, insensitive language, and drug abuse. Eventually, the censor board decided to ban the movie and it was not released in India. But it is very hot abroad.