YouTube has removed filmmaker Anand Patwardhan’s National Award-winning documentary Father, Son and Holy War from his official channel, reportedly citing violent content.
Released in 1995 after a seven-year production period, the two-part documentary examines anti-Muslim violence in India in the context of the Babri Masjid demolition and the Bombay riots. It also explores themes of patriarchy, masculinity, and Hindutva politics.
Reacting to the removal, Patwardhan questioned YouTube’s decision in a Facebook post. He noted that the film had received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, won two National Awards, and was ordered by the Supreme Court of India to be screened on Doordarshan in the public interest.
“Yet now, 30 years later, YouTube has decided that it is too ‘violent’,” he wrote.
Patwardhan argued that the documentary documents violence rather than promotes it. “It is a documentary that records the violence caused by religious fanatics and politicians vying for power. It is an exposé of violence, not an endorsement of it,” he said.
While the film is no longer available on Patwardhan’s official YouTube channel, it remains accessible through another channel on the platform.
Father, Son and Holy War won the 1995 National Film Awards for Best Investigative Documentary and Best Film on Social Issues. It also received the International Jury Prize at the Bombay International Film Festival in 1996.
The documentary was at the centre of a long legal battle over its broadcast. In 2001, Patwardhan challenged Doordarshan’s refusal to telecast the film. The Bombay High Court ruled in his favour, and the Supreme Court later directed the public broadcaster to air it.
This is not the first time Patwardhan’s work has faced restrictions on YouTube. In 2019, the platform imposed an age restriction on his 1992 documentary Ram Ke Naam, making it inaccessible to users under 18 despite the film holding a CBFC “U” certificate.
Patwardhan had then accused YouTube of acting under pressure from Hindutva groups.