Indian film-makers fear to tread many paths these days

Mumbai: The removal of Punjabi film Satluj from a streaming platform has brought attention to a trend that writers and film-makers say has been quietly reshaping India's entertainment industry: self-censorship.

Over the past three to four years, creators say an increasing number of subjects have become difficult to touch, prompting many ideas to be dropped long before they make it to the scripting stage.

Scriptwriters, directors and producers told ET that topics such as Kashmir, communal riots, caste, religious identity, farmer protests, China, national security, the Northeast and Punjab militancy are increasingly being avoided at the ideation stage itself, narrowing the range of stories entering development.


While concerns over regulatory scrutiny continue to loom large, many creators say the fear of organised social media backlash has emerged as an equally potent constraint. Others, however, view the environment as an intellectual challenge, attempting to navigate sensitive themes through more nuanced storytelling without compromising their creative intent.

"There is fear among creative minds. Today, one has to think even about the names of the characters one writes. This speaks for the extent of self-censorship in the industry. One cannot write or create anything against the system today," said Honey Trehan, director of the film Satluj.

"Even before censorship, producers often ask us to change or remove things because they fear trouble. How much of real life or vision is left in a work after these changes," said scriptwriter Sudeep Nigam, known for the web series Illegal - Justice, Out of Order. "I wonder if we could make a film like Rang De Basanti today."

Production houses have legal teams which examine scripts line by line, said industry insiders.

Consequently, the universe of stories which writers can tell has been shrinking.

"There is an unwritten but widely accepted self-censorship of certain topics among writers. It has materially shrunk the available universe of storytelling," said Jaidev Hemmady, who wrote the script for the web series Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega.

According to scriptwriter Sudeep Nigam, many people feel it is safer to write a romantic comedy than deal with difficult truths.

A scriptwriter who requested anonymity said: "I am tired. Today, most of my decisions are not creative but strategic in nature. I don't know what aspect in my story will trigger an unfavourable response from producers, streaming platforms, people or even the government."

Personal backlash is a key worry, said writers.

"Earlier, writers would avoid certain things out of sensitivity. Today, we think twice before selecting a subject. We worry about legal action, social media attacks and even the impact on our families," said Abhishek Chatterjee, scriptwriter for the web series Sutliyan. "What worries me most is not just whether a film will be stopped but the personal backlash that can follow. This fear is real."

But Chatterjee said he has not lost optimism.

"There are challenges today. Despite these challenges, we must find ways intellectually and not compromise on our vision, like Iranian film-makers," he said.