By: JurmoloyaRava
Water
The movie was an Indo-Canadian production directed by the ever-challenging Deepa Mehta. The movie explores the lives of widows in a Vanarasi ashram. The movie provoked a great deal of controversy in India that filming had to be moved to Sri Lanka. The movie premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, to much acclaim, it was released in India only in 2007.
Lipstick Under My Burkha
Lipstick Under My Burkha was banned at the right time when the internet was at the height of its powers. Which eventually led to theatrical release and was initially hampered by the Censor Board finding the women-oriented and sexual material unsavoury. The movie won the prestigious Spirit of Asia Prize and the Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality. Premiering at the Tokyo and Mumbai film festivals, the film achieved exactly what it set out to do.
Parzania
The movie’s subject matter deals with the Gujarat riot. Following a true account of a young boy who was separated from his family during the course of the violence, the film dealt with an unofficial ban in Gujarat. Premiering at the 36th India International Film Festival in 2005, the film was eventually released in 2007. The film’s lead actress and director both received Lotus awards for their efforts.
Black Friday
The movie is based on the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, the movie’s release was withheld based on the decision of the Bombay High Court in relation to the bombings. The movie aimed for a 2005 release but was only granted certification in 2007. Black Friday was nominated for Best Film at the Locarno International Film Festival and won the Grand Jury prize at the Indian Film Festival, Los Angeles.
Bandit Queen
The Delhi High Court temporarily placed a ban on the film because Phoolan Devi, the film’s subject objected to its content. The movie was eventually released however to much acclaim. It was screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival and premiered as a part of the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, 1994. Even the Filmfare awards recognized the movie’s contribution, awarding it the Critics’ Best Film and Best Direction Awards. It even bagged the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
[TheChamp-Sharing]
