Like Padmavati, five other films that had to change their titles to avoid controversy
The seemingly never-ending battle between the Hindu right-wing group Karni Sena and makers of Padmavati finally came to an end with a dud of a result.
The movie will now called Padmavat, and that apparently is all that was required for the Censor Board to certify the movie.
The nationwide protests relaxed as soon as the 'i' in Padmavati was dropped. Changing the name of a movie to avoid controversy or confusion may seem like a ridiculous step to take, but this is not the first time it has happened.
The Karni Sena has been calmed with the dropping of the 'i' from the movie's title, just like these other similar instances in the past.
Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela
A still from Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela.
It seems controversies aren't willing to leave Sanjay Leela Bhansali alone. In 2013, Ram Leela was scheduled to release across India when it was hit by a controversy. The movie, a Bollywood adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, was dragged to court by Hindu right-wing groups. They objected to the name of the movie as it hurt their religious sentiments. The right-wing groups claimed that the movie is an affront to Lord Ram as it uses his name.
Ram Leela (the name is associated with the life story of Lord Ram) faced near-violent opposition from right-wing Hindu groups. These fringe groups claimed that the movies contained sex, violence and vulgarity and hence couldn't use the name of a Hindu God. The movie's name was changed to Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela just 48 hours prior to its scheduled release.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali — a personal favorite target of right-wing Hindu groups — said, "The said film is neither related to ‘Ramleela’ folklore/traditional performance associated with Lord Ram nor related to ‘Rasleela’ associated with Lord Krishna. Ram, the character in the said film does not depict or resemble Lord Rama in any manner."
Inglourious Basterds
Poster for Inglourious Basterds.
Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversies. His movies are filled with violence, gore, bloodshed and foul language, and have stirred up quite a few controversies over the years. Be it the scale of brutality in movies like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, or the use of the N-word by white actors in Tarantino's movies, there's nothing that hasn't been faced by the master director.
But, his 2009 classic Inglourious Basterds — the movie which gives its viewers the pleasure of seeing onscreen Nazis ferociously murdered — whipped up some major controversy. The movie was earlier called Inglorious Bastards, but was later changed to Inglourious Basterds in hopes of not offending moviegoers. In the UK, the movie's name was changed to simply Inglourious.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Poster for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
South Park creators absolutely love controversies. They, in a way, enjoy stirring controversy up with their animated television sitcom that has been on air for the past 20 years. And, in 1999, South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, decided to bring the show onto the big screen after its immense popularity.
The censors, however, were not happy with the creators of South Park. The movie ran into trouble with censorship since the very beginning, and the filmmakers waged a long running battle with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The film’s original title was deemed too offensive by censors. It is rumored to have been South Park: All Hell Breaks Loose. The creators later came up with a more subtle title South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Poster for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
The title of the movie is enough to explain why it must have been changed. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me meant something very different for viewers in the United Kingdom. This raunchy comedy was the first sequel to Mike Myer’s 1997 original Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
The Mike Myers' comedy classic combined American and British humor; one of the first movies to do so. However, some of the humor did not translate perfectly. The film’s title was considered far more raunchy and offensive in the UK. As a result, the sequel was re-titled to Austin Powers 2.
Moana
A still from the movie Moana.
What do you do when your movie shares its name with a famed and much revered porn-star? You change the name. That's what happened with Disney's Moana. The movie tells the story of Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chieftan, who meets a demigod called Maui.
But, in Italy, the name Moana reminds people of the adult film star Moana Pozzi, who died in 1994. Pozzi remains a popular figure in Italy and even starred in an animated movie of her own named Moanaland. In Italy the title character's name was change to Vaiana. In many European countries —except the UK — the film was released as Oceania.
