In the 21 months of the Emergency, the government imposed strict censorship on the world of art and cinema. During this time, many films – either completed or under production – came under scrutiny due to their subject matter. Let’s take a look at the films that were banned, stopped or faced problems during the Emergency:
1. “Aandhi” Widely believed to be inspired by the life of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Gulzar’s 1975 film was banned shortly after its release. Although the filmmakers said it was a fictional story, the similarities between the lead character Aarti Devi, played by Suchitra Sen, and Gandhi were hard to ignore, especially the white streaks in her hair.
The ban was lifted after the emergency ended.
2. “Qissa Kursi Ka” A satire on the prevailing political scenario by filmmaker Amrit Nahta, the negative of this film was destroyed and its prints confiscated by the then Information and Broadcasting Minister VC Shukla, who was close to Indira Gandhi’s younger son Sanjay Gandhi.
The film’s lead character Gangaram was based on Sanjay Gandhi and also starred Shabana Azmi, Raj Babbar, Raj Kiran and Utpal Dutt. Nahata remade this film and released it in 1978. However, this version also faced censorship.
3. “Andolan” This film, directed by Lekh Tandon, was a politically motivated film based on the Quit India Movement of 1942. It revolves around an Indian teacher who starts a rebellion against the British colonial government in his hometown. The film, starring Rakesh Pandey and Neetu Singh, also faced criticism from the censors during the Emergency.
4. “Chanda Marutha” Based on P Lankesh’s beloved play “Kranti Bantu Kranti”, this Kannada film was made just before the imposition of Emergency. It was directed by Pattabhi Rama Reddy and starred his wife Snehalatha Reddy. Snehlatha was put in jail and died five days after being released on parole.
5. “Sterilization” Directed by IS Johar, this film was a satire on the forced sterilization campaign carried out during the Emergency. The film featured duplicates of the leading actors of that time – Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Khanna.
Due to its controversial subject matter, the film was banned, but was released in 1978 after the political climate changed.
6. “Waves of Revolution” – The first documentary produced by Anand Patwardhan tells the story of the beginning of the JP movement in Bihar and how it became a national movement before the imposition of Emergency in 1975.
When Anand made this film in 1975, he was only 25 years old. The film depicted mass movements and civil unrest at a time when the mainstream media was under increasing pressure from the state. It was widely circulated by underground groups during the Emergency.
