Pakistani cinema has often been criticized on social media for not exploring enough genres and sticking with overly done romantic story arc, but the minute a new story arrives in the market, it either gets banned or becomes mired in controversy.
We saw that happen before our very eyes with Saim Sadiq’s internationally recognized film Joyland.
The film was given the green light to release in Pakistan on November 18 but a week before its release, the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) revoked the censor certificate granted to the filmmaker months ago overwritten complaints received about the still unreleased film.
PM Shehbaz Sharif has formed a special committee to evaluate complaints filed against film Joyland which was banned almost a week before its release in Pakistan.
On Monday, a notice with the tag “most immediate” written on it was issued by the prime minister’s office in Islamabad.
“Committee to deliberate on complaints against the Urdu film Joyland” was the subject, followed by a list of members included.
They comprised of minister for political affairs and economic affairs and law and justice chairperson, minister for information and broadcasting, minister for communications, minister for board of investment, minister for information technology and telecommunications, adviser to the PM on Gilgit-Baltistan, PTA chairman and PEMRA chairman.
The committee will “consider the complaints against the said film being against the social and moral norms, and recommend follow-up action”.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is to provide secretariat support to the committee, which is to report back on Tuesday (today) with its findings.
Despite all its achievements — being Pakistan’s first Cannes entry, bagging several awards at international film festivals and being chosen as Pakistan’s Oscar consideration nominee — Joyland was still banned from a cinematic screening in its country of origin.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting canceled its exhibition license, which was issued months ago.
The federal government has declared Joyland “uncertified” after receiving complaints that “the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform to the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ’decency and morality; as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979”.