10 Bollywood Films That Courted Political Controversies
The clash between art and politics has always irked controversy of the most heighted order. Bollywood definitely is no alien to political controversy. There are so many films that had to visit the courts before they hit the theatres. The reasons were various, but the turmoil definitely made the audience curious. Here is a list of 10 popular movies that ran into political controversy before release.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – Currently dealing with a round of controversies, Karan Johar’s ADHM ran into an unexpected tiff with MNS! The ban on Pakistani actors and films that followed after the Uri terror attack in September, led to the MNS boycotting Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which also stars Pakistani star Fawad Khan. The ban has finally been lifted after Karan Johar running pillar to post to sort out matters!
Source: bollywoodlife
Haider - Vishal Bharadwaj’s Haider that starred Shahid Kapoor in the lead ran into controversy for allegedly insulting the Indian Army and ignoring the plight of the minorities in Kashmir. An additional controversy broke when the Sun Temple in Kashmir was portrayed as the Devil’s Den in a song. The film was an adaptation of the play Hamlet and was molded around the armed insurgency in J&K in the 1990’s.
Source: movies.ndtv
PK – Mr. Perfectionist, Aamir Khan’s PK that questioned the superstitious beliefs in society wasn’t spared by the Hindutva forces who called for a ban on the film and protested profoundly on its release. It was said to demean Hindu culture, beliefs and practices.
Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela – This film got a change of title only two days prior to release! The title of the film Ram Leela seemingly ignited the Hindu forces who saw it as an insult to Lord Ram. Everything from the title to the trailer was found objectionable and offensive to religious sentiments.
Source: movies.ndtv
Madras Café - John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri starrer film was heavily protested against in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka alike on the grounds that they were portrayed in negative light.
Source: financialexpress
OMG: Oh My God! – The satirical comedy ran into a major controversy over depiction and description of Hindu gods and goddesses. Jalandhar State Mahila Congress vice president Nimisha Mehta filed a complaint the producers of the film for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.. Akshay Kumar was given police protection, after widespread protests!
Source: kaspermovies
Wake Up Sid – Ayan Mukherjee’s directorial debut ran into a controversy when Shiv Sena protested and threatened to ban its release over referring to Mumbai as Bombay in the film!
Source: pinterest
Billu – The Irffan Khan starrer film was earlier titled Billu Barber which was said to hurt various caste based sentiments. Shahrukh Khan produced film was said to be demeaning to a certain caste in the Hindus was its release was threatened. Thousands of barbers protested against it and Shah Rukh eventually decided to drop the term from the title.
My Name Is Khan – The film irked political protests over SRK’s comment of non participation of Pakistani players in IPL. Theaters showcasing it were attacked by protesters. SRK later shared his regret over the controversy
Fanaa – The comeback film for Kajol opposite Aamir Khan stood in the line of fire when Aamir Khan made a comment against the increasing height of the Narmada Dam in Gujrat. The film did not release in the state after widespread protests!
Source: bollywoodish blog
The bright side of the protests was that when these films released the audiences rushed to see them!