Book banning has been a concern for quite a while. It poses a host of important questions. Who is the one who decides what’s offensive or not?. Here iMEDIABUZZ provides underrated movies based on banned books.

Can it be considered fair to withhold the book from readers just because a tiny portion dislikes the content? Most importantly, is it not threatening to create a chain reaction in which something deemed objectionable by someone is thrown out?

It’s a fact that certain people are scared of specific ideas, and they attempt to protect their children from these notions by making sure distinct books be taken out of schools.

Best Underrated Movies Based On Banned Books

1: Garam Hawa (1973)

A classic piece of work in M.S. Sathyu’s films (and the director’s debut), Garm Hawa tells the story of a Muslim family’s struggles to post 1947 Partition. Because of the concern that the film might cause tensions between the communities and create tension.

It was recommended that the Censor Board help up the release for ten months. After much angst, the film was finally released after the director arranged a private screening for Premier Minister Indira Gandhi.

It was initially released in a limited release (in Bangalore). Then the film was made available in Mumbai and the rest of India. aThe film was awarded the National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. The film was given international recognition. It premiered in Paris and 1974, part of The Cannes Film Festival.

3: Aandhi (1975)

The political drama sparked a lot of controversies because it was inspired by the life of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the relationship she had with her husband. The only thing the film drew from Gandhi’s personal life was her appearance and clothes.

Gandhi was never granted an official release during Indira Gandhi’s reign. The film was censored during the national emergency of 1975, just a couple of months after its release.

Certain scenes needed to be re-shot, and an unpopular drinking scene to prove that the film was not an autobiography.

Following the general election in 1977, in which Indira Gandhi lost, the film was re-released. It was a huge success and was awarded the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie.

4: Kissa Kursi Ka (1977)

Amrit Nahata’s Kissa Kursi Ka is a satirical look at the political life of Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi. Likely, it wasn’t received well in the eyes of government officials in the Indian Government.

The Emergency period from 1975 to 1977 is considered an extremely confusing time when Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The Right to Freedom of the Press was stifled during this period and made it extremely difficult for analysts and sociologists to understand the time because of the absence of information and news, as the Government was in charge of every aspect of the press. Ultimately, the Indian Government blocked the film and confiscated all the prints.

5: Bandit Queen (1994)

Shekhar Kapoor’s biographical film is a heartbreaking story about one of the lower caste rebels who commit to the streets for a better life. While it’s not historically accurate, it is an examination of discrimination by caste and the suffering of women who are considered “backwards castes” in India.

The film received acclaim from critics in 1994 at the Cannes Film Festival and the 1995 New Directors New Films Festival in New York. However, it was the true story of Phoolan Devi sued to block its release, which Indian censors also blocked.

They fought back, insisting on the authenticity of the film. She went as far as to threaten to burn herself in front of a theater if the film was not taken off the market.

The scenes that involve rape scenes of rape, and the Behmai village scene, where she’s required to walk naked to the well, are the scenes.

6: Black Friday (2004)

Black Friday is probably Anurag Kashyap’s most OK movie, based on a book with the same title. It recounts the events leading to the notorious 1993 Bombay blasts and the later police probe.

Although the film received high praise from both local and international audiences, it was not without controversy. Black Friday was set to air in India on the 29th of December, 2005.

However, following a petition made by one of those defendants in the 1993 explosions, Mushtaq Moosa Tarani, the Bombay High Court raised a ban. Following the decision, the court granted the release for 20 months in 2006.

7: Firaaq (2008)

Firaaq, written by Nandita Das, explores the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat protests in India. It explores the horrors society goes through after harmony is shattered. The film weaves several storylines that trace the lives of a variety of characters.

One is a Muslim-hating Hindu whose wife is plagued by the ghosts of the riots; a hateful Hindu Muslim who has no choice but to plot revenge; a mixed-marital couple rethinking their decision to relocate to Delhi following the riots.

Also, a Muslim child lost his parents in the violent riots. Nandita Das can bring people with the same perspective from both sides. The film wasn’t controversial in the least, but rather a simple human interest tale that doesn’t connect with a particular group.