A Tale of Four Cities

Char Shaher Ek Kahani 1968

In "Char Shaher Ek Kahani" (1968), K.A. Abbas contrasts official images of India’s industrial progress with stark footage of urban poverty and Bombay’s red-light district. The 16-minute documentary became a landmark censorship case after the Central Board of Film Certification objected to its depiction of prostitution, leading Abbas to successfully challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.