After Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar 3 Ji was banned in India over casting Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, another Diljit Dosanjh film has found itself in controversy. It is director Honey Trehan's biographical drama Punjab '95. The film tells the tale of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who played a crucial role in investigating and exposing extrajudicial killings during the Punjab militancy era.
Apart from that, actor Vijay Raaz's Udaipur Files, based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case in Udaipur, has also been stalled by the Delhi High Court today, just a day ahead of its scheduled release.
Amid the turmoil, let's take a look at 5 similar films that are banned in India, but can be watched on OTT platforms:
Angry Indian Goddesses (2015) - Netflix
A refreshingly bold break from conventional Bollywood films, Pan Nalin's Angry Indian Goddesses revolves around a group of diverse women who reunite for a friend's pre-wedding celebration in Goa. The fun getaway soon unravels into a powerful commentary on patriarchy, female rage, freedom, and the everyday struggles women face in society. It is raw, unapologetic and brutally real.
Parzania (2005) - Jio+Hotstar
This deeply moving story takes its cue from a real-life incident of a Parsi boy who went missing during the 2002 Gujarat riots — one of India's most horrifying communal tragedies. Parzania showcases the brutality of the riots, the failure of the system, and the emotional toll of violence on innocent lives.
Water (2005) - Apple TV
John Abraham and Lisa Ray headlined this film directed by Deepa Mehta. Water is a poignant and visually haunting film set in 1938 colonial India. It explores the lives of widows confined to an ashram in Varanasi, following the traditions that marginalise and isolate them after the deaths of their husbands. The film touched on themes of gender discrimination, religious orthodoxy, and the denial of freedom.
Black Friday (2004) - Google Play
Anurag Kashyap's gripping and unflinching portrayal of the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts is inspired by journalist Hussain Zaidi's same-titled book. The movie weaved investigative journalism with raw storytelling, reconstructing the events leading to the bombings, the planning behind them, and the massive police probe that followed.
Fire (1996) - Apple TV
Another masterpiece by Deepa Mehta, Fire explores the emotional and physical intimacy that develops between two women—Radha (Shabana Azmi) and Sita (Nandita Das) —who are neglected by their husbands and stifled by traditional norms. The symbolic term fire becomes a powerful exploration of desire, identity, and rebellion against patriarchy.
