The worst fears of the Bachchan fan here have come true, with the Pakistan Film Censor Board refusing permission on Tuesday to screen Sarkar Raj in local cinemas.
The film focused on terrorism and violence and was apparently aimed at building the image of an anti-Pakistan extremist politician, Bal Thackeray."
Pakistan Film Censor Board
ISLAMABAD: The worst fears of the Bachchan fan here have come true, with the Pakistan Film Censor Board refusing permission on Tuesday to screen Sarkar Raj in local cinemas.
The shock came hours after the customs department released the prints of the movie, seized on landing for not obtaining prior permission, on Monday evening.
Stopping the film’s Friday release in its tracks, the censor board said the film focused on terrorism and violence and was apparently aimed at building the image of “an anti-Pakistan extremist politician, Bal Thackeray”.
Mohammad Anees, spokesman for Ever Ready Pictures, the importers of the Bollywood film, said the customs authorities released its prints after they were shown documents carrying government permission for its import.
“However, as we approached the censor board in Islamabad on Tuesday morning with the prints, we were told the board members had already seen the movie (available in CD shops of the federal capital) and decided against granting permission for its screening,” Anees said.
Jamshed Zafar, chairman of Pakistan Film Distributors Association, said the board had maintained that as per rules, any Indian film shot entirely in India and without a Pakistani actor cannot be allowed to be screened in Pakistan.
However, he said the board’s decision in this case was discriminatory since some other Indian movies such as Awarapan, Tare Zameen Per, Jannat and Bhootnath were allowed to be screened across Pakistan despite the fact that they were entirely shot in India and did not include any Pakistani actor.
Board chairman Azfar Shafqat countered saying Tare Zameen Per was granted special permission because it carried a positive message unlike Sarkar Raj which portrayed a larger-than-life image of an extremist who has never said anything positive about Pakistan.
amir.mir1969@gmail.com
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}