How the Emergency Silenced Bollywood: Banned Films, Censorship, and the Actress Who Went to Jail

A closer look at how the 1975 Emergency stifled Indian cinema through censorship, bans, and personal consequences for filmmakers and actors (AI generated pic)

New Delhi: The imposition of the Emergency in India on June 25, 1975, not only suppressed political opposition and press freedom but also had a profound impact on the Indian film industry. For 21 months, Bollywood’s creative voice was muffled under stringent censorship laws, film bans, and political pressure. Films were shelved and filmmakers faced court cases; the period of the Emergency had a profound effect on Indian cinema and its freedom of expression.

‘Kissa Kursi Ka’: Film Negatives Destroyed During Emergency

Amrit Nahata’s political satire Kissa Kursi Ka is cited as one of the best examples of censorship during the Emergency. The film included direct satire of political figures, particularly characters similar to Sanjay Gandhi, which resulted in a subsequent response by the authorities.

According to the reports, the original negative prints were confiscated and destroyed under orders from Information and Broadcasting Minister at the time, V.C. Shukla. The cast included Shabana Azmi, Raj Babbar, and Utpal Dutt. Although the film was remade and eventually released in 1978, the Censor Board required that there be several cuts, thereby showing the ongoing effects of Emergency censorship on cinema.

‘Aandhi’: Banned Over Resemblance to Indira Gandhi

Gulzar’s Aandhi, starring Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar, was pulled from cinemas soon after its release as well. Viewers and critics made comparisons between Aarti Devi’s character and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, prompting reactions within government circles.

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Even though the filmmakers claimed it was simply a fictional story, it was a banned film during the Emergency. It was not until after 1977, when the Emergency ended, that Aandhi was released for public viewing.

‘Waves of Revolution’: Underground Resistance Through Documentary

At the age of just 25, filmmaker Anand Patwardhan made the documentary Waves of Revolution documenting the JP Movement and political turmoil before the Emergency. When the leading media was censored, the film was transmitted underground, encapsulating dissent and youth activism in that time.

‘Nasbandi’: Satirical Film on Sterilization Banned Immediately

I.S. Johar’s contentious film Nasbandi was a literal satire on the forced sterilization policy during the Emergency. Featuring lookalikes of Bollywood superstars, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, and Rajesh Khanna, the film addressed issues directly, none more so than government policies.

Upon its release, Nasbandi was banned due to its politically sensitive content, but finally made into theatres in 1978, after political regime change.

‘Chanda Marutha’: The Price of Expression

In the specifically Kannada cinema, Chanda Marutha directed by Pattabhi Rama Reddy from a play by P. Lankesh, will forever remain a tragic illustration of the personal price one must pay for political expression. Actress and activist Snehalatha Reddy, one of the lead actors, was put in prison during the Emergency.

Soon after being released on parole due to illness, she died, highlighting the harsh reality facing artists from that time, the high demands exacted — not just from the work but also from the state — when someone dared to speak dissent from the mainstream.

‘Andolan’: A Quit India Story Still Censored

Even films set in the past had not escaped. Andolan, directed by Lekh Tandon and based on the 1942 Quit India Movement, was censored during the Emergency itself even though it was a film based on what was then, historical events. The film starred Rakesh Pandey and Neetu Singh and, if the censor board is any indication, reflected the generality of suspicion with politically sensitive films, no matter the period in question.

The Emergency’s Lasting Impact on Indian Cinema

The 1975 Emergency is one of the darkest chapters in Indian cinema history and shows how, during political turmoil, film and artistic freedom can be utilized as pawns. Bollywood’s freedom was severely curtailed, and a range of filmmakers, actors, and producers were censored, banned, and personally persecuted.

Ultimately, while some of the censored films were released after 1977, this period serves as a potent reminder of artistic expression’s vulnerability in times of political emergencies.