Bollywood, controversies a flashback

On Tuesday, when a Chandigarh court issued notices to Censor Board Chairperson Sharmila Tagore and production company UTV on a criminal complaint filed by a Rajput outfit and two Hindu groups against Jodhaa Akbar, it wasn8217;t the first time that a film was being dragged into unnecessary controversy. The slightest provocation can give way to fierce protests against a theme, lyrics or a scene. As filmmakers have often discovered, hurting the sentiments of a particular community or individual can prove disastrous. Here are some recent examples:

Aaja Nachle Some words from the title track of Madhuri Dixit8217;s comeback film had to be deleted after a community alleged that the lyrics were derogatory towards them. The producers, Yash Raj Films, offered an apology to the community.

Hey Ram! Kamal Haasan8217;s film on Mahatma Gandhi was branded 8216;anti-Muslim8217; and 8216;anti-Gandhi8217;. However, the filmmaker was unfazed. 8220;There is no fence sitting here,8221; he said.

Gandhi My Father The film, focussing on Gandhi8217;s relationship with his son, Harilal, invited protests from Gandhians in Bihar who requested President APJ Abdul Kalam to stop the release of the film.

Mangal Pandey The film based on the Revolt of 1857 faced legal hurdles when Raghunath Pandey, the great grand son of Mangal Pandey, filed a defamation suit for introducing a prostitute as Mangal Pandey8217;s love interest.

Bose8212;The Forgotten Hero Left parties were quick to wave the red flag, quite literally, against the film8217;s director Shyam Benegal. They alleged that there was no proof to support that Netaji married Austrian Emilie Schenkl.

Bawandar Bhanwari Devi, the protagonist of the women8217;s movement of the 90s, was dragged into controversy because of this film that brought back memories of the gangrape she was subjected to by the upper castes of Bhateri village in Rajasthan. The villagers were angry with her for taking on the upper castes again through the film.

Bandit Queen Shekhar Kapur8217;s film was supposedly based on the real-life experiences of Phoolan Devi. However, the authenticity of the script was under attack by none other than the subject herself. Phoolan filed a lawsuit against the film.

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Bombay Mani Rathnam8217;s film dealt with the 1993 communal riots. Biased politicians and their noisy followers got into the act immediately, resulting in snipping of 8220;objectionable8221; scenes and dialogues.

Fire 038; Water Two of Deepa Mehta8217;s Trilogy 8212; Fire and Water 8212; invited violent protests. Fire depicted a lesbian relationship with the Indian family backdrop. The theme was not acceptable to Shiv Sainiks who attacked cinema halls. Water met with a worse fate. It had a volatile theme 8212; the plight of Hindu widows forced into prostitution 8212; and the filmmaker insisted upon shooting the film in the holy city of Varanasi, an idea that ruffled the feathers of Hindu organisations. Finally, the UP Government ordered a ban on the production of the film in the city.

Lajja BJP workers in MP burnt an effigy of the filmmaker, Rajkumar Santoshi, and posters of Madhuri Dixit. They protested against 8220;objectionable dialogues8221; on Hindu gods in the film.

Strings Hindu organisations torched CDs and posters of the film, saying one of the songs in the movie was offensive to the faith.

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Nishabd The BJP protested against the film in Allahabad and Hyderabad alleging that the film was propagating Western culture.

Girlfriend Hindu outfits in Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Varanasi ransacked cinema halls screening the film based on a lesbian relationship.

Ek Chhotisi Love Story Manisha Koirala claimed a body double had been used for the 8220;vulgar8221; scenes in the film, and the Shiv Sena sprang up to defend her. It went on a rampage in theatres screening the movie.

Miss Anara Former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta8217;s debut film, based on her arrest on charges of acting in a blue film and acquittal by a court, could not be screened in her own state, following angry protests by Shiv Sainiks.

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Gadar Offended by the 8220;negative portrayal8221; of the community, Muslim organisations demanded a ban. But a leading Sikh body claimed the community that was offended was them.

Meenakshi, a tale of three cities M F Hussain was told that there were certain words in the film that could hurt Muslims.

Jo Bole So Nihal The use of the holy slogan along with 8220;vulgar8221; scenes was not acceptable to Sikh leaders in Punjab. Petitions were filed seeking quashing of its censor certificate. Bomb blasts in some theatres showing the film were also linked to the controversy.

Sin Roman Catholics said the film about a priest8217;s affair with a girl half his age was 8220;pornographic8221; and demanded its withdrawal.

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Corporate The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India protested the allegedly negative depiction of India Inc in Madhur Bhandarkar8217;s film. 8220;It paints the entire corporate sector with the same brush,8221; alleged ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat.