Bandit Queen to Black Friday: Films that faced bans and censorship in India before Satluj

Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj was recently removed from Zee5, just days after its release. The OTT platform took to social media to address the concern, saying, "In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity." But this is not the first time a film has landed in controversy. There's a long list of Indian films over the years that were either banned, denied certification, or forced to undergo heavy cuts because of their political, religious, social, or sexual themes. Here's a look at some of these titles.

The 1994 film was based on the life of Phoolan Devi. Even before the release, it landed in legal controversy. The film faced objections due to several scenes, leading to a temporary halt on its release from the Delhi High Court. However, the ban was later lifted by the Supreme Court.

Kissa Kursi Ka became controversial during the Emergency. The 1978 political satire reportedly targeted the government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was seen as mocking her administration as well as Sanjay Gandhi. It became a landmark case in Indian film censorship.

Directed by Mira Nair, the 1996 film never received certification in India due to its explicit sexual content and nudity. While the film found audiences overseas, it faced severe controversy and was described as "explicit," "unethical," and "immoral".

This 2001 film was Anurag Kashyap's debut feature and remains one of the best-known unreleased Hindi films. As per reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had issues with its graphic violence, drug abuse, explicit language and dark tone. While the film was reportedly cleared after suggested cuts, it never had a theatrical run in India.

Raj Amit Kumar's 2014 film was reportedly denied certification because of its depiction of a lesbian relationship, nudity and a parallel story involving religious extremism. At the time, it was claimed that the film could provoke communal tensions and encourage what it termed "unnatural passions."

Another Anurag Kashyap film landed in controversy. The 2004 film was halted because it was about the 1993 Bombay serial blasts while the court proceedings were still underway. It was believed its release could influence the ongoing trial. The legal restriction was lifted only after the TADA court delivered its verdict. The film was later released in 2007.