Do you know which was India’s first A-rated film? After all, why did the Censor Board declare 16 year old Madhubala’s film for adults only? Was the story on domestic violence and women’s rights too ahead of its time? Why was there controversy across the country? Know the complete story of that 75 year old film which changed the history of Indian cinema.
Nowadays, the trend of A-rated films and web series has become common, but do you know which was India’s first A-rated film? This achievement is recorded in the name of ‘Hanste Aansoo’ released in the year 1950. Interestingly, veteran Bollywood actress Madhubala was in the lead role in this film and at that time she was only 16 years old. Made as a family comedy-drama, the Censor Board considered this film suitable for adults i.e. audiences 18 years of age or older. Its story based on domestic violence, women’s rights and social issues created a huge controversy at that time.
‘Hanste Aansoo’ becomes India’s first A-rated film
‘Hanste Aansoo’, released in the year 1950, is considered to be the first film of Indian cinema which was given A certificate by the Censor Board. The film was directed by K.B. Lal did it. It was announced in 1949 and was initially pitched as a family comedy-drama. However, after review by the Censor Board, the film was deemed suitable for adult audiences and was released with an A certificate.
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16 year old Madhubala was the heroine of the film
Madhubala played the lead role in the film. At that time he was only 16 years old. Along with him, actors like Motilal, Gop and Manorama were also seen in important roles. This character played by Madhubala at a young age was considered quite challenging for that era.
Why did ‘Laughing Tears’ get an A certificate?
According to reports, the film included domestic violence, marital harassment and some dialogues which were categorized as adult content by the censor board. Apart from this, objections were also raised regarding the title of the film and some presentation. For these reasons, ‘Hanste Aansoo’ became India’s first A-rated film.
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What was the story of ‘Laughing Tears’
The story of the film revolves around a woman named Usha, played by Madhubala. Usha faces the atrocities of her husband Kumar and later leaves home and starts fighting for women’s rights. In the film, Usha was also shown working in a factory. At that time many people considered it to be against traditional family values, while some considered it to be a progressive film raising the voice of women. However, the film proved to be a flop at the box office.