The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), refused to certify his next film, War and Peace, released in 2002. The board demanded 21 cuts before it would be certified."Filmmaker's Battle to Tell India's Story in India", The New York Times, 24 December 2002. Patwardhan took the government to court, leading to the film being banned for over a year. However, after a court battle, Patwardhan won the right to screen his film without a single cut."Alone against India's nuclear nationalism", BBC News, 12 August 2003.Director Interview BBC Four, 4 August 2003.Film Review BBC Four, 2002. As with his previous films, Patwardhan also successfully fought to force a reluctant national broadcaster, Doordarshan, to show this film on their national network. It was commercially released in multiplexes in 2005.War and Peace hits the box office for the first time in India Tehelka, 25 June 2005.
