Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has reopened discussion about the difficulties his 1998 film Zakhm faced with India’s film censors, saying the movie underwent a prolonged review and edits before release. His recollection also highlights an unusual suggestion from veteran actress Asha Parekh to seek clearance from political leaders.
What Bhatt said about the censor battle
Mahesh Bhatt, the director and writer of Zakhm, has described how the film encountered a protracted process with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) before it could reach theatres. According to Bhatt’s account, the film required multiple rounds of scrutiny and discussions that lasted about three months. He recalled being asked to make changes and to defend the film’s treatment of sensitive themes.
Zakhm, which starred Ajay Devgn, Nagarjuna and Pooja Bhatt and was produced by the Bhatt family, deals with communal violence and the personal aftermath of such events. Bhatt has said the subject matter prompted heightened attention from the censors who were concerned about potential fallout from the film’s portrayal of religious tensions.
The details Bhatt has shared emphasise the procedural hurdles filmmakers can face when dealing with politically and socially sensitive material in India. He has suggested that the process involved negotiation rather than a single censor decision, with cuts and explanations being part of the path to certification.
Asha Parekh’s suggestion and political sign-off
Bhatt also recalled an unexpected intervention by Asha Parekh, a prominent actress from earlier decades, who — according to his account — suggested taking the film to influential political leaders for clearance. Bhatt said Parekh advised approaching either Bal Thackeray or L.K. Advani to secure approval. Both Thackeray and Advani were leading figures in Indian politics at that time; Thackeray led the regional Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra, while Advani was a senior leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national level.
Bhatt’s account frames Parekh’s suggestion as an expression of how industry figures sought political backing when institutional routes were uncertain. It is a reminder that various stakeholders — from artists to political actors — have long played roles in whether and how a film is released in India. The claim about Parekh’s advice comes from Bhatt’s recollection; readers should note this is a report of his memory rather than a contemporaneous document.
Why this matters beyond India
For readers outside India, Bhatt’s recollections offer a window into how films that address communal conflict and identity can provoke official and unofficial gatekeeping. Zakhm is widely seen as part of a late-1990s wave of Indian cinema that confronted social divisions more directly than many mainstream commercial films had previously done. How a film is certified, edited or sometimes barred affects not only filmmakers’ careers but also what stories find a public audience.
The story is relevant to broader international conversations about freedom of expression, artistic autonomy and the interplay between culture and politics. In many countries, films face scrutiny from regulators and pressure from political or social groups; Bhatt’s account underscores that in India this dynamic has involved formal bodies like the CBFC alongside informal suggestions to seek political patronage.
The film’s place in Indian cinema and its legacy
Zakhm won recognition on the Indian awards circuit and is often discussed as a significant film in the careers of its cast and creators. Ajay Devgn, already an established star, and Nagarjuna, a leading figure in South Indian cinema, were both part of a project that blended personal narrative with national questions. Pooja Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter, also played a central role in the film.
The controversy over certification is part of the film’s public history: it illustrates how films that probe communal violence are negotiated through India’s institutional and extra-institutional mechanisms. For scholars, critics and film-loving viewers outside India, Zakhm remains a reference point for studying how Indian cinema has navigated difficult topics and how authority — cultural and political — shapes the stories audiences ultimately see.
Source: The Times of India
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and checked before publication. Editorial policy
