Indian Government Blocks 19 Films At Kerala Film Festival —Including Century-Old Classic

Official poster for Sandhya Suri's Santosh, which is among the films blocked at the International Film Festival of Kerala.imdb/hannah abrahamThe 30th International Film Festival of Kerala descended into crisis this week after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied screening permission for 19 films, triggering protests from delegates, filmmakers, and politicians. Among the initially blocked titles: Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece Battleship Potemkin, Fernando Solanas's political documentary The Hour of the Furnaces, four films about Palestine, and a Spanish film titled Beef.The cancellations were communicated to delegates on December 15, the festival's fifth day, after the Ministry failed to issue mandatory exemption certificates. Under Indian law, films without Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) approval require special exemption from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to screen at international festivals. Festival organizers submitted applications with film synopses 10 days before the event began, but exemptions for these 19 titles were withheld without explanation.Classics That Have Screened For Decades Suddenly BannedThe absurdity of the bans becomes clear when examining the blocked titles. Battleship Potemkin has been screened across Kerala since the 1960s. The Hour of the Furnaces has appeared hundreds of times at Kerala film society events, university campuses, and international festivals. Both are foundational texts in cinema history courses worldwide.Legendary director Adoor Gopalakrishnan expressed outrage at the government’s decision. “To advertise one’s ignorance like this is very bad for the government, very bad for the people,” ANI reported him saying. “They should reconsider the ban on these films, and their decisions should not be based solely on the titles. A film's title 'Beef' is not about eating cow meat. It is not about that. So, the whole thing is based on a sheer lack of understanding of the medium of cinema.”MORE FOR YOUPalestinian Films And Political SensitivitiesTORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 05: (L-R) Karim Daoud Anaya, Saleh Bakri, Ossama Bawardi, Annemarie Jacir, Yasmine Al Massri, Billy Howle, Hiam Abbass and Robert Aramayo attend the premiere of "Palestine 36" during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFour films about Palestine were denied clearance: Palestine 36, Yes, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, and All That's Left of You. Notably, Palestine 36 had already been screened on December 12 as the festival's opening film, making its subsequent ban particularly bizarre.The list also included Santosh, a Hindi film directed by Sandhya Suri that was Britain's official Oscar entry in 2024 and screened at Cannes. The film was released in India via OTT in October 2025 after a year-long certification battle, but was denied theatrical release. It explores themes of caste discrimination and gender dynamics within police culture.Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the situation "most unfortunate" and revealed he had personally intervened with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to secure clearances for some films. "The original list was much longer, but several clearances were obtained after my intervention," he wrote on X. "The rest are awaiting clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs."Former Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac was more pointed: "IFFK, celebrating its 30th edition, was scuttled by GoI denying censorship exemption to 19 films, without any rhyme or reason. The list of films includes classic Battleship Potemkin and even films screened at IFFI Goa and Palestinian films. The only rationale seems to be disruption."From Burning Negatives To Banning Character NamesIndia’s film censorship apparatus has a well-documented history of blocking content deemed politically inconvenient.

The Cinematograph Act of 1952 established the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which functions as both certification body and de facto censor. Without CBFC approval, films cannot screen publicly.The most notorious case remains Kissa Kursi Ka (1978), India's first political spoof about Sanjay Gandhi's power.

The Shabana Azmi-starrer was refused certification, and when Emergency was declared in 1975, Congress workers seized the master print and negatives from the CBFC office and burned them. Sanjay Gandhi and his aides were later found guilty, with Gandhi serving a month in jail.Gulzar's Aandhi (1975) was banned during the National Emergency for its similarity to Indira Gandhi's life, only released after the Janata Party came to power. Rakesh Sharma's documentary Final Solution (2004), examining the 2002 Gujarat riots that killed over 1,000 people, was banned for being "highly provocative and may trigger off unrest and communal violence."More recently, Udta Punjab (2016) faced demands for 89 cuts — including removing all references to Punjab — from a film explicitly about the state's drug crisis.

Lipstick Under My Burkha was refused certification for "sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography." No Fire Zone (2014), a documentary about Sri Lankan war crimes, was denied certification to avoid damaging India-Sri Lanka relations.In 2015, CBFC chairperson Leela Samson resigned after the board's refusal to certify MSG: The Messenger was overturned by an appellate tribunal, citing political interference.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat (2018) faced months of protests, death threats against lead actress Deepika Padukone, and demands for a nationwide ban over its portrayal of a 14th-century queen. The film was eventually released with five modifications and a title change, but only after Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh initially banned it in their states.MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 12: Rajput Karni Sena workers protesting outside the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office in connection with the release of film Padmavat at Peddar Road, on January 12, 2018 in Mumbai, India. Protesters said changing the name of the film from Padmavati to Padmavat was not enough. (Photo by Vijayanand Gupta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesIn 2021, the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal—filmmakers' last recourse against CBFC decisions—was scrapped entirely by the government.Recent Blocks: Goddesses, Beef, And 127 CutsThe censorship has grown increasingly arbitrary in recent years. In July 2025, the CBFC initially demanded 96 cuts to Janaki vs State of Kerala, a film about a rape survivor, because the protagonist’s name — Janaki — is another name for Goddess Sita. The board argued in a 22-page affidavit that "a woman who has been sexually abused cannot be named Janaki" and cited concern that she is "cross-examined and asked harrowing questions by a person belonging to another religious community." After legal intervention, the CBFC backed down to just two changes: adding a middle initial to make the title Janaki V vs State of Kerala and muting the character's name twice during courtroom scenes.Director B. Unnikrishnan responded: "The CBFC has shamelessy argued that a woman who has been sexually abused cannot be named Janaki." FEFKA director Renji Panicker warned that "filmmakers in India will have to replace names with numbers if censorship issues persist."Punjab 95, a Diljit Dosanjh biopic about human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, faced escalating demands: first 21 cuts, which director Honey Trehan reluctantly accepted, then the number ballooned to 127 cuts. The film was scheduled to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 but was pulled by Indian authorities. It remains unreleased over two years later.Malayalam film Empuraan was released in 2025 with 24 cuts removing 128 seconds of footage depicting scenes resembling the 2002 Gujarat riots—cuts the creators made "voluntarily" after outrage from right-wing leaders. Shane Nigam's Haal was denied certification entirely over a scene involving beef biryani.A 2025 database called CBFC Watch documented over 100,000 cuts to nearly 20,000 films between 2017 and 2025, revealing that the board "disproportionately targets religious, political, and substance abuse content" while treating violence and profanity more leniently.Kerala Government Vows To Defy Central OrderOn Tuesday, December 16, Kerala's Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian directed the State Chalachitra Academy to screen all 19 films as per the original schedule, including the 15 still awaiting clearance. "Such an anti-democratic approach that destroys the tradition and progressive nature of the festival cannot be accepted," Cherian said in a statement. "The government will continue to take an uncompromising stand against attacks on artistic expressions."Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was more pointed: "The censorship directed at the IFFK is a direct reflection of the autocratic tendencies of the Sangh Parivar regime, which suppresses diverse voices and creative expressions in the country. Enlightened Kerala will not give in to such censorship. All films that have been denied permission to screen will be screened at the festival."The statements came after the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged protests at the main festival venue, Tagore Theatre, on Monday night. Early Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting granted clearance for five films: Beef, Eagles of The Republic, Heart of The Wolf, Yes, and Once Upon A Time In Gaza, but 14 films remain blocked.Festival chairman Resul Pookutty had earlier told media he was in "minute-by-minute" contact with ministers to resolve the crisis. Academy officials noted the cancellations have "major financial implications" beyond the immediate disruption to programming and embarrassment to international guests.The controversy highlights a broader tension in Indian cultural governance: a Constitution guaranteeing freedom of expression versus a certification apparatus wielded as political cudgel. While online streaming platforms have allowed some filmmakers to circumvent CBFC restrictions, the prestige and reach of theatrical and festival screenings remain irreplaceable, leaving artists at the mercy of bureaucrats who can ban century-old masterpieces without explanation.