Sikkim | For Sake Of Art | Hammers High

Films can be a medium of propaganda. Over years, different governments supported films with underlying reasons which were explicit but not discussed openly. The Birth Of A Nation, Triumph Of The Will and Why We Fight are well known propaganda films for artistic brilliance. Many would count Casablanca in the list as well. These films show and glorify things which might not be agreeable to certain sections but their disagreement should not restrict a willing audience who might want to see the brilliance of cinema beyond the points of argument. Sikkim, made by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, was banned for similar reasons.

 

Commissioned by The Chogyals – royals of Sikkim before Sikkim was merged with Indian Union – Ray made a documentary about the kingdom. As Chogyals believed, Sikkim was shown as a sovereign. This fine point was the reason of ban when Sikkim became a part of nation. Ray strongly believed that the film was a part of history and should not have been banned. There were two prints available – one in US with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and one in UK with BFI. Film has been showcased abroad and lauded. Richard Attenborough, a British film legend, termed it as a personal favorite.

 

In November 2010, Indian Government lifted the ban and was showcased at Kolkata Film Festival. However, only one show was opened for public as an interim order by Sikkim Court forced organizers to suspend remaining shows. There might be legal and diplomatic reasons but for art sake the film should be made available. As a country, we should be able to accept the opinion which doesn’t fit a norm. Banning films is not a solution. It creates a monster. It does.

Paanch (Hindi) | Sneak Peak | Cine Talk

Paanch… This is a banned movie which has been seen by almost three fourth of Indian cine-buffs. Directorial debut of Anurag Kashyap which failed to get a public screening, tells story of a maniacal Rock performer Luke and his four friends. Luke kills a someone and thus the killing spree is ignited. Story is pretty common and barely has anything interesting to offer. However… the movie has a lot.

Shot in dim light (one of the reason why the movie was not given a certificate), to a large extent Paanch do glorify violence, just like many war movies glorify wars. Its pervert in a sense because the outcome of the movie barely offers anything positive. But I suppose it’s not the first film that is totally dark in character. In fact, many films had nothing to offer (read sex-comedies). Atleast, Paanch has a story that can make you skip a heartbeat. It has simply unbelievable performances by everyone… a rare feat in Hindi Cinema. It has dialogues that cuts through your senses… and the forbidden dim light effect, murals on walls… they all add to the effect. Paanch is not about a story. It’s about everything beyond the words on paper.

Having said that, I feel there is an amount of gore in the movie making it unsuitable for a U or U/A rating however, banning it forever makes little sense. People are mature enough to decide what they can handle and what they can’t… and given the fact that its present everywhere, Ban makes no sense.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Banned Horror Movies Exorcist | Under Lens

Exorcist pretty much defines the term “cult-classic”. This 1973 release directed by William Friedkin, has had popularity in every sense of the word, both positive and negative.

Several Directors refused the movie one of which did so stating that the movie is “cruel to children”.Controversy started early for Exorcist, right from the trailer. It had a simple trailer concept, with the face of the possessed girl bobbing in and out of darkness, but had a horrifying effect specially on young girls and was thus changed. Below is the same banned trailer.



As the movie released protestors in UK gathered outside the theaters to ask people not to see the movie, and this resulted in theaters being packed. British MP Rhodes Boyson asked for the movie to be banned.

Though actual ban wasn’t really implemented and is more of a legend than truth. Ban therefore was in 4 countries viz. Burma, Iran, Malaysia and Tunis. In Tunis it was banned for the silly reason after being branded as “Christian propaganda”.

As the film’s reputation grew, people in New York used to stand upto 4 hours before ticket windows opened in lines for hours just to be able to watch the movie. The same New York theater there were many reported incidents of vomiting, fainting, in some cases heart stroke and also a miscarriage. So much so that at some places catholic priests were present at the screenings and stretchers were kept ready to take out audience who would faint.

Later it was adopted by the catholic community and is still screened at some church sermons. Father Kenneth Jadoff's claim in The Catholic News that 'The Exorcist is a deeply spiritual film.'

The movie went on to get 10 Oscar nominations, won 4 Golden Globes including best picture, is still in 20 most grossing movies of all time and always be considered a cult classic.

Written by Ali Naqvi.

Banned Movies For Gay Content |Under Lens

We live in a homophobic world where at numerous places homosexuality is no better than sin. But, it is a reality that deserves honor and honest portrayal on screen. In this series, we will find some movies banned for homosexual content.

“But I’m A Cheerleader” was a movie about confused identities, social issues and homosexuality, smartly drifted under the cover of comedy. Romania, Malaysia and few other countries banned the movie. Similarly, “491”, a movie about crime and criminal psychology was banned in native country Sweden, Norway and Malaysia for objectionable h-scenes.

But these two movies were not legends of land- “Fire” and “Brokeback Mountain” are. Fire was an Indian movie made by Deepa Mehta. The movie grabbed instant attraction of Hindu fundamentalists due to two reasons. First it portrayed homosexuality and secondly, the names of the lesbian duo were named after two legendary women of Hindu mythology revered as goddesses. Protest followed by vandalism lead to ban in certain parts of country.

Brokeback Mountain gained cult status as a romantic saga. Based on a novelette, the movie was about two gay friends living normal lives. It was banned in conservative countries like Burma, China, Iran and Malaysia. It achieved great success and went on to become one of the most loved romantic movies. Heath Ledger immortalized himself in the role.

Another brilliant movie banned and appreciated was “Boys Don’t Cry”. It was a story about a girl living like a boy and falling for a girl. Revelation and acceptance were two pinnacles of the story and Hillary Swank received more adulation for this movie than any other movie. Something well deserved.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Controversial Potrayal of Jesus | Under Lens: Banned Movies-02

No such thing excites passion, as religion does. Some movies have crossed the line hurting sentiments. Christianity being the biggest faith, has had its share of banned movies. Some of the notable of these are: Last Temptation of Christ, 1988


The movie faced ire because it showed Jesus himself being in doubt himself, of being the son of God, of being a messiah. It also raised controversy as it showed Judas as the most trusted disciple of Jesus, whom betrays Jesus on his own instructions.

As Jesus is being crucified, he has a vision of an angel who tells him that he is not Son of God, and God is pleased with him, and wants him to lead an ordinary life. Further scenes show him as making love to Mary Magdalene, who bears his children. As Jesus comes to end of his life as an old man, Judas calls him a betrayer. Thereafter, Jesus crawls to God and asks him to let Him go back to the cross to die for Salvation of humanity. Thus the angel that gave him such visions is Satan himself, and Jesus finally overcomes his Last Temptations.

What was most controversial is that Jesus is shown to be swayed by lure of Satan, in betraying his mission, if even momentarily.

Note – The film was nominated in Best Director Oscar Award for Director Martin Scorsese and was banned in multiple countries.


Passion of Christ, 2004
Passion in Biblical terms means events relating to Arrest, Trial, Torture, and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was in controversy because it showed excessive torture of Christ.
Robert Ebert, the most revered critic of all time said ” The movie is 126 minutes long, and I would guess that at least 100 of those minutes, maybe more, are concerned specifically and graphically with the details of the torture and death of Jesus. This is the most violent film I have ever seen.”.

Another critic Rick Groen said, “(Passion of Christ is )So obsessively and so graphically bloody-minded that it comes perilously close to the pornography of violence.”

It was also regarded as Anti-Semitic by some as it showed Jew characters in negative light. Some believe it showed that Jews killed Jesus.

The latest in the series is Da Vinci Code that alleged that church has hidden the fact that Jesus Christ had a baby girl with Mary Magdalene. Incidentally, The Novel- Da Vinci Code had mention of “The Last Temptation of Christ” to support its claim.

For 'The Reel'; Written by 'Ali Naqvi'

Under Lens: Anurag “Banned” Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap is more known for the movies that were not allowed than the movies that were allowed to be showcased on silver screen. Apart from a confused No Smoking, irresistible Dev D and egoist Gulaal, the director has two brilliant movies to his credit- both banned temporarily or permanent.


His debut Paanch starring KK and Tejaswini Kolhapuri was inspired from a real life incident. It won accolades all around the world and Kashyap was instantly in limelight well before a release that never happened. Story of a struggling band and intense violence, the movie was banned by the Censor Board and till date it has not been released. A member found it unhealthy to leave the movie for public viewing.

But another movie- Black Friday, a docudrama based on Mumbai Bomb Blasts saw the silver screen after a series of cases. The devil was not the happening on screen. It was the content that was controversial to the core. TADA court was presiding over the case and some people including the accused believed that the movie can negatively influence the court. Prejudice was the fear. It was banned and then after suitable amends, released.

Though both movies were banned, they were available on DVDs at Palika… does censorship work?

For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Under Lens: Banned Movies- 01

Across the globe, numerous movies have been banned for one or other reason. In this series we will know why certain movies were banned and where:

1: Cannibal Holocaust: This classic movie was banned in many countries like Australia, Burma, Japan, South Africa etc for extreme violence and animal cruelty. The movie was considered as a gory movie and the ban was never lifted at some places. However, few countries allowed after desired censorship and proper rating. Cannibal Holocaust also raised eyebrows and many litigations followed.


2: Da Vinci Code: Many countries like Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Vatican City banned the movie for alleged blasphemy. Based on a novel by Dan Brown, the movie was an attempt to find the Holy Grail. However, the ban hardly influenced the business. The movie went on to become a global blockbuster.

3: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and sequel: For extreme violence not suitable for public viewing, the series was banned in some countries including Australia, Singapore and Ukraine. However, ban was removed after restricting viewership to a particular class of public. The series acquired cult status in the Gory movies genre. The bloodshed in movie led to protest in parts of US and blamed the movie for growing violence in society.


4: Kissa Kursi Ka: In 70’s the movie was banned in India after accusations of portrayal of Indira Gandhi. The ban was lifted when Janta Party came to power overthrowing Congress democratically. As a political satire, the movie gained cult status. But on box office, the movie failed to make any mark. It was declared a flop.

Iran have banned many movies that contain sexual or anti Islamic views. Censorship prevails in cinema in Iran. Cannibal Holocaust, Scarface, Hostel series, Borat, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Brokeback Mountain, Harold and Kumar series etc. have been banned for violence or sexual content. Exorcist, The Passion of the Christ, Bruce Almighty, Da Vinci Code, Alexander, 300 has been banned for being anti-Islamic in nature. Schindler’s List was banned for glorifying Jewish cause.

For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh