Shaheer Ahmed
Pakistani cinema, however strong and independent, still face lots of issues before film releases. One big hurdle is the censor board. Over the years several Pakistani movies have been banned by the censor board for various reasons. In the light of the recent talk of the town, Joyland, we have made a list of all the movies that were greatly anticipated by the audience, got banned by the censor board and failed to be released.
Slackistan:
Salikistan is an independent film directed by Hammad Khan which is about a young man who is juggling between personal and professional lives while living in Pakistan during political turmoil. Central Board of Film Cencors (CBFC) banned the movie over the use of swear words in English and Urdu, and the words ‘Taliban’ and ‘lesbian’.
Slackistan was also the first official film of the now heartthrobs of Pakistan, Osman Khalid Butt, Shahbaz Shigri and Ali Rehman.
Maalik:
The political-thriller film was directed by Ashir Azeem. Just a week after its release, it was banned by Sindh Board of Film Censor. The film is based on the corrupt political system of the country. However, on 7 September 2016 the ban was lifted by Lahore High Court (LHC) and the film was re-released on limited screens.
Verna:
Shoaib Mansoor directorial revolves around a rape victim and her struggles. CBFC stated, “The general plot of the movie revolves around rape, which we consider to be unacceptable.” The reason did, however, infuriate the public which lead to the film being released on TV channels and small screens.
Javed Iqbal- Untold story of a serial killer
The movie is based on real-life events of serial killer Javed Iqbal, directed by Abu Aleeha. A day before its release, the film was abruptly pulled up by CBFC, despite it initially receiving censor approval. Yasir Hussain played the lead role of Javed Iqbal.
Zindagi Tamasha
Directed by Sarmad Khoosat, Zindagi Tamasha is a drama film that shows an intimate portrait of a family who lives in Lahore.
The release of the film was suspended after the religious uproar. Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protested on the release of this film, and further accused Khoosat of blasphemy.
