8 Bollywood films that courted controversy even before release

As Kerala actor Prithviraj faces cyberbullying after announcing he would star as the lead in the upcoming film ‘Vaariyamkunnan’, the incident also casts a spotlight on other movies that have courted the wrath of the masses even before release. In Prithviraj’s case, the historical epic is based on the 1921 Malabar revolution, which will see the actor play Variyankunnathu Kunjahammed Haji, a freedom fighter who took on the British forces. Right wing activists have raised objections, saying the film celebrates a leader who committed crimes against Hindus.

If the incident reminds you of the controversy that raged against ‘Padamaavat’ in 2017, with corresponding death threats issued against lead star Deepika Padukone, you wouldn’t be too far off the mark. As a new controversy comes to a head, we look back upon Bollywood films that angered viewers even before they made it to the cinemas.

Bandit Queen (1994): Shekhar Kapur’s directorial venture drew ire even before the movie was meant to hit the marquee. The film, which was based on the life of Indian dacoit Phoolan Devi, drew criticism for its use of abusive language, violent content and nudity. Lead star Seema Biswas also drew flak for daring to do intimate scenes in the film. After much hue and cry, the film was ultimately caught up in censors, but still went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

Paanch (2003): Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was young and ready to change Bollywood norms when he decided to shoot ‘Paanch’ in 2003, a film about a rock band that somehow are caught up in a kidnapping, with things going south pretty fast. The movie was based on a real-life incident, but the sex, drugs and violence rubbed many up the wrong way. Rumour has it that Kashyap refused to have the movie censored so ‘Paanch’ never made it to screens.

Water (2005): Deepa Mehta’s film trilogy drew the wrath of the masses when ‘1947: Earth’ and ‘Fire’ hit the screens. But the controversy over ‘Water’ led to a tsunami of protests and violence, forcing the filmmaker to move the film shoot from Varanasi to Sri Lanka. The film, which was meant to star Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, depicted the lives of widows and the ostracism they face in the holy city. Azmi and Das even shaved their heads for the role, but they finally bowed out of the movie and John Abraham and Lisa Ray were cast as the leads.

Black Friday (2007): Another Anurag Kashyap venture that faced a ban was this critically-acclaimed film based on the 1993 Mumbai terror attacks. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject and the ongoing trial, the Bombay High Court ruled to halt the release of the film until the legal proceedings were complete. This pushed the release of ‘Black Friday’ by several years. However, when it finally did make it to audiences, Kashyap was heaped with praise.

Jodhaa Akbar (2008): It’s rare that a film starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would court controversy, but ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ played out like a never-ending drama in news headlines over Jodha Bai’s depiction by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker. Some Rajput groups claimed the film distorted historical facts, while others claimed that Jodha was married to Akbar’s son Jahangir and not Akbar, who was played by Hrithik Roshan in the film.

Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela (2013): Several religious groups in India took objection to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram Leela’, starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, over the film’s title. The objection being the title and the film’s trailer were hurting the sentiments of many over its mythological reference. Things heated up so much so that a legal complaint was filed against Bhansali and its lead stars. Bhansali finally buckled and changed the film’s title to what we know today.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016): Filmmaker Karan Johar came under attack over his 2016 movie ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. A Maharashtra-based party threatened a ban on the Ranbir Kapoor-Anushka Sharma starrer, prompting Johar to tender an apology and promise never to work with Pakistani actors again. In his defence, the film was shot before India banned entertainers from Pakistan to work in the country. Later, when CNN-News18 interviewed Johar about the apology video, he said: “At the time of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, I was torn between ideology and circumstance. I have my own belief and thoughts on this, but there’s a studio and cast I’m accountable to, the team of the film I’m accountable to. So I had to put out a statement which I feel terrible about.” He further added: “Everyone said it looked like you were going to cry. I wasn’t crying and pleading to profess my nationalism. I wanted to break into tears… the fact that I had to do this. It felt like there was an invisible gun on my head.”

Padmaavat (2018): Long before we knew this award-winning film as ‘Padmaavat’, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali historical epic was first identified as ‘Padmaavti.’ Originally scheduled to release in 2017, several right-wing groups stated the film, also starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, distorted facts and tarnished the reputation of their ancestors. Even as historians argued Padmaavti was a fictional character in the pages of history, violent protests erupted across India with death threats issued to Padukone. The film’s title was finally changed and it released in 2018 amidst tight security.