Istafa Ali
If the real world wasn’t hard enough for Barbie already, the Punjab government was waiting for her at the next stop. Barbie could not be shown in Punjab on Saturday morning because it had four words that people didn’t like. But by late night, theatres were once again giving back tickets and cancelling shows.
Fans were very upset about this quick cancellation on social media because they didn’t know what Barbie producers, HKC Films, and the Punjab Censor Board were up to. The film was taken off the air even though it had a NOC because people didn’t like it.
A member of the control board told, “Barbie has not been banned. Instead, the movie has been brought back for another look.” “This time, the government of Punjab made the choice, not the control board. The government stepped in and asked for a second look at the movie, but the date hasn’t been set yet. When asked what use the board is if the government can step in whenever it wants, the source wouldn’t say.
Some movie theatres in Punjab, like Cue Cinemas, were worried about how well Barbie would do when it came out, so they didn’t show it during the short time they were allowed to. Mohammad Mansoor, the manager on duty at Cue Cinema, said, “We weren’t sure how Barbie would be received, so we didn’t show it at all.”
Read More: Barbie crossed Oppenheimer in Box Office This Weekend!
After the 18th Amendment was passed, censor boards now work as province bodies, with Sindh, Punjab, and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) each having its own board members who work separately. The Sindh and Central Board for Film Certification gave Barbie a PG grade and let it come out without any cuts or censorship.
