Sadda Haq, the latest film to be banned for political reasons

The Supreme Court today refused to lift the ban imposed on Punjabi film Sadda Haq by the governments of four states — Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh. Sadda Haq is a historical drama and has been criticised for allegedly glorifying the Khalistani movement and militant leaders like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Consequently, the film has been banned in the four states. According to an official spokesman of the Punjab government, the step to ban the film till further orders has been taken to “maintain communal harmony” in the state. [caption id=“attachment_696866” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A poster of the film Sadda Haq[/caption] The release of Sadda Haq has been postponed indefinitely, making it the latest entrant into the list of films that have faced the ire of state governments or run into trouble because of its political overtones. Aandhi (1975): Not allowed a full release because of the similarity between the screenplay and Indira Gandhi’s life and political career. It was eventually released after the Congress fared badly in the 1977 elections. Fanaa (2006): Banned in Gujarat following Aamir Khan’s protests against raising the height of Narmada Dam. Aaja Nachle (2007): The then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati called for a ban of the film, citing caste-demeaning remarks in the title track. Black Friday (2007): Based on the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, the film was ready in 2004 but released only in 2007 because a petition seeking a stay on the film was filed. The petitioners argued that the film was about a pending case and screening the film could bias public opinion. Parzania (2007): Banned in Gujarat after communal forces opposed the movie’s take on the Gujarat riots of 2002. Firaaq (2008): Banned in Gujarat and went on to win two National Film Awards. Directed by Nandita Das, Firaaq was a hard-hitting portrayal of families caught in the vicious aftermath of the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat. Aarakshan (2011): Banned temporarily in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Some groups feared the movie glorified anti-Dalit comments. The ban was lifted after a special screening for these groups.