It seems like A-rated films with graphic content have become a common habit for Bollywood. Most of the modern-day cinephiles are unaware of the fact that it was a normal thing, specifically for the Hindi film industry, to get the 18+ rating.
The general public that was born sometime before the 2000s will be shocked to know the list of films that were categorized as Adults Only by the CBFC. It has the biggest hits and popular titles that contributed to the success of any actor and have become cult classics over time.
Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen was undoubtedly one of those. The director decided to break boundaries at such a level that the violence and rape scenes are still disturbing to watch in today’s period. Akshay Kumar’s Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Sabse Bada Khiladi, and International Khiladi were also in this category.
Vijaypath and Haqeeqat, which made the on-screen pairing of Ajay Devgn and Tabu popular, were selected to be watched only by the mature ones. Most of Mithun Chakraborty’s action films during that period were not considered suitable for family audiences, with Gunda grabbing a lot of attention with its double-meaning dialogues. Dharmendra’s Hukumat is also in this list.
The situation changed with time. Nowadays, it is all about getting as graphic as you want to. Audiences indeed get disturbed. But it attracts the masses at the same time. A few of them even grossed Rs. 500 crores worldwide. Let’s check this small list.
1. Animal
Some directors take long breaks between their films. However, it helps them to shape the product in such a way that viewers don’t complain at all. Sandeep Reddy Vanga is truly one of those genius minds today.
Three films in six years. One of them was a remake. But they worked. Critics bashed them. However, SRV did not care at all, and he was clear about his vision. After showing a different side of the chocolate boy Shahid Kapoor, Vanga went to Ranbir Kapoor this time for the same reason.
His intention was simple. Transform RK into a hero for the masses. Animal brought a new side of Ranbir that was never seen before. He fought a huge group of assassins, taking them down with an axe and a machine gun. All we could see was blood. His face and clothes became red in the mid-credits as he mercilessly butchered two people, revealing a sequel that is arriving soon.
Ranbir created a record with a big number on a non-holiday. The figures kept on rising by the weekend and continued attracting people for multiple weeks, leading to collections of Rs. 500 crores worldwide.
2. Coolie
Rajinikanth’s hardcore fans missed his outstanding dialogue delivery and action in Vettaiyan. This time, the glimpses were hinting that a new side of the superstar will be presented by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Irrespective of Lokesh’s story choices, no one can ignore the fact that he does his best to entertain everyone. That’s why his selections have been those faces who can pull crowds even in the early morning shows. Moreover, expectations were sky-high as Kamal Haasan’s comeback with Vikram after five years worked because Lokesh was in the director’s seat.
The makers aimed to earn more, which is not a bad thing. This is the reason they brought a few more superstars, making Coolie a proper pan-India film. The trailer did not reveal much about the story. Moreover, the A certificate promised to add more entertainment for viewers.
Unfortunately, a majority was disappointed. Compared to the censor certificate issued, there was nothing extremely graphic in the film. The runtime became a major complaint for most of the people as they were not so impressed with Lokesh’s storytelling. Despite criticism, Rajinikanth’s star power saved Coolie with worldwide box office numbers of Rs. 500 crores.
3. Salaar
Prashanth Neel’s storytelling is very unique. Everyone saw that in K.G.F., where he smartly used a real-life location and a fictional character to bring a mass action-drama. But his approach took a different turn this time, where he opted to keep everything fictional.
Following the heavy criticism of Adipurush, Prashanth wanted to bring audiences back for Prabhas with Salaar. When nothing in your film has a connection to reality, it can easily avoid controversies. However, the makers fought with the delays emerging due to the pandemic, with the film arriving almost a year later than it was originally planned.
The popular faces from Telugu films were cast. There was also Prithviraj Sukumaran, appearing in a completely new form. The silence of Prabhas in the beginning made everyone eager to witness him reacting in the most violent way possible. And once he did that, people started clapping and whistling.
This was not the end, as a sequel was announced. However, Prabhas and Prashanth’s commitment to other projects has delayed it a little bit. It became one of the highest-grossers for the year, collecting Rs. 500 crores worldwide.
The list above is too small. But similar films are scheduled to arrive soon. Follow-ups to Animal and Salaar are already being planned. As usual, the makers won’t compromise at all. In between these, small-budget films like Kill and Marco are also leaving a different kind of impact at the box office.
Social media is also flooded with another discussion after watching the teaser for Shah Rukh Khan’s King. Netizens are currently questioning whether it will get an Adult certificate due to the possibility of graphic scenes being included. As of now, let’s see who will take the next spot in this list.
