Vivek Agnihotri's "The Kashmir Files" is going places. The film, which brutally depicts the exodus of Kashmiri pandits during a militant insurgency, is ticking the box-office in red. Despite being made on a shoestring budget, the film is heading towards the Rs 100 crore club within a week of its release.

The Kashmir Files has completely divided the netizens—while one claims that the exodus was portrayed with all its heart and soul, the other claim that the director has used the subject as a propaganda vehicle to play hate politics.

However, Kashmir Files is not the first political film to stir controversy in India. Let's take a look at a few controversial Indian films that were banned or chopped in India for being too political.

Parzania

Topping the list is Rahul Dholakia's 2007 thriller drama. The plot is loosely based on the Gulbarg Society Massacre that took place during the 2002 Gujarat Riots. The film narrates the story of a Parsi family who searches for their missing son during the riots. Interestingly, the film was never screened in Gujarat. Theatre owners boycotted the film citing backlash. The film won the national award for the best director and actress (Sarika) but the team failed to release it on the big screen in most parts of the country.

Firaaq

Nandita Das' Firaaq was banned in Gujarat citing communal angle. The film, which is claimed to be based on thousands of stories from the victims, narrates the aftermath situation of the 2002 Gujarat Riots.

Kissa Kursi Ka

The 1977 political satire was made by Amrit Nahat, who was then a member of parliament. A satire on PM Indira Gandhi ad her son Sanjay Gandhi, the film was banned during the emergency and all its prints were confiscated.

Black Friday

Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday was based on the 1993 Mumbai serial blast. The film was banned for 2 years as the case was still pending. The court said the release of the film should not influence the verdict.

Madras Cafe

John Abraham's Madras Cafe was based on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE. The film stirred a huge controversy in Tamil Nadu and never made it to the theatres in Tamil.

Amu

Konkana Sen starrer Amu was based on the 1984 anit-Sikh riots. The film faced several hardships with the censor board. It was finally cleared with 6 cuts and an A certificate. However, that made it ineligible for a television premiere. When the team reapplied, the board suggested a 10-minute cut, muting all the verbal references to the riots. The producer withdrew and release it directly on DVD.

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