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India's First Banned Film: Uproar Over Story, Released After Nehru's Intervention.
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News18•29-09-2026, 23:30
India's First Banned Film: Uproar Over Story, Released After Nehru's Intervention.
- •Mrinal Sen's 'Neel Akasher Neeche' was the first film banned in independent India, released in 1959.
- •The Bengali film, set in 1930s British Raj, depicted social inequality and was initially banned.
- •The film faced objections due to its political aspects and the relationship between a married woman and a street vendor.
- •Based on Mahadevi Verma's short story 'Chini Feriwala', it highlighted socio-economic disparities.
- •Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru intervened, ordered the ban lifted, and watched the film, leading to its release.
Key Questions Answered
Mrinal Sen's 1959 black-and-white Bengali film 'Neel Akasher Neeche' was the first film to be banned in independent India due to its political aspects and depiction of socio-economic inequality.
Set in 1930s Calcutta during the British Raj, the film follows the relationship between a married woman and Wang Lu, a poor Chinese hawker who sells silk.
After Hemant Mukhopadhyay complained to then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Nehru immediately ordered the ban to be lifted and even watched the film.
