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The 'Banned'Wagon: Some world films that got banned like 'Haider'

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It's a little over two weeks old now, but the rallying cries to ban Haider haven't really died down. While Pakistan's Censor Board has refused to let the film release there, the Allahabad High Court in India has served the film's makers notice on the basis of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed, seeking direction to "restrain exhibiting of movie in any cinema hall" on the grounds that it was against "national interest". They have to reply in four weeks.
But ban-seeking is nothing new. Sometimes the protestors gets their way and the government or regulating bodies pass the bans, sometimes they don't. Sections of people tend to get offended about everything from political portrayals, perceived defamation of individuals or religious groups and races, sexually explicit content, violence and political incorrectness.

Here's looking at some of the recent, most politically incorrect and thereby banned-somewhere-in-the-world films...

The Interview (Unreleased)
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen and Randall Park
History: Release date delayed. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has threatened war if the film is released.
The Story: A journalist and his producer bag a celebrity interview with Kim Jong-Un who's a fan of their show. The CIA orders them to assassinate Jong-Un.
Fallout: Makers Sony Pictures is considering knocking off a scene where Jong-Un's face is shown melting off. The dicatator's 'death' scene may also be cut out. The movie was due to release in October, but will now release in December to enable changes to the film. In any case, the film will most likely be banned in North Korea.

The Dictator (2012)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
History: By the time this film released, everyone knew what to expect from a Cohem film,
The Story: Admiral General Aladeen, the dictator of the fictitious Middle Eastern Republic of Wadiya, visits the US but treats everybody else beneath him.
Fallout: Banned in Tajikistan, banned two weeks after premiere in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan passed enough cuts to make it 71-minutes long, some Malaysian cinemas reportedly blocked it. Even Italy had issues because of reference to the Italian PM.

Bruno (2009)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
History: High sexual content made it a no-go proposition for most film territories
The Story: Bruno, a flamboyant gay Austrian journalist travels to the US to become "the biggest gay Austrian celebrity since Hitler".
Fallout: A spokeswoman for Malaysian Film Censorship Board was quoted as saying, "It's banned because the story is based on gay life... There are a lot of sex scenes. It's contrary to our culture." Bruno was banned in Ukraine, too.

Borat (2006)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
History: The movie was shrouded in controversy two years prior to release.
The Story: Borat Sagdiyev, a fictitious Kazakh journalist traveling across US recording his interviews and interactions with Americans.
Fallout: Except Lebanon, it was banned in all Arab countries. The Russian government discouraged Russian cinemas from screening it. After the film's release, some cast members spoke against the film and even sued its makers. As for Kazakhstan, authorities banned it and threatened to sue Cohen. Six years later, Kazakhstan thanked the movie for boosting the country's tourism!

Anna And the King (1999)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat
History: Loosely based on 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon, the subject matter was mired in controversy ever since it made it to screen three time in Hollywood. In 1946, 1956 and 1999.
The Story: A semi-autobiographical tale, it follows the diaries of the Anglo-Indian Anna, who passes herself off as a governess who tutors the Thai king Mongkut's many wives and children.
Fallout: The movie was officially banned in Thailand as it was considered disrespectful to the King, the royal family and portrayed Thai culture as inferior.

300 (2007)
Starring: Gerard Butler and Lena Headey
History: Based on the fictionalised retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae within the Persian Wars by Frank Miller in his graphic novel 300.
The Story: How 300 Spartans fought for freedom and held back the Persian army long enough to give their people a fighting chance.
Fallout: Banned in Iran, because of the way the Persians are depicted. An independent newspaper Ayende-No went as far as giving the headline "Hollywood declares war on Iranians" and stated "The film depicts Iranians as demons, without culture, feeling or humanity, who think of nothing except attacking other nations and killing people."

 

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