Punjab Censor Board has now outlawed Saim Sadiq’s Joyland after the Censor Board of Federal Certification (CBFC) approved it. The initial release of Pakistan’s Oscar submission was suspended due to “several complaints.”
The movie will be released in the province with the previously decided cuts, according to a representative of the Sindh Censor Board. The source also mentioned that the board would soon issue the final censor certificate for the film’s release, even though the one that had already been issued is still valid on its own. Currently, Joyland’s poster and release date are both visible on the website for Karachi’s Nueplex cinemas.
Joyland, directed by Saim Sadiq, was approved for release in Pakistan after a committee decided that it was suitable for screening, according to Salman Sufi, the director of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, who announced on Wednesday night.
He tweeted: “The Censor Board Review Committee established at the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cleared the film Joyland for release. Freedom of speech should be protected within the bounds of the law because it is a fundamental right.”
According to Sufi, the movie would be able to be seen in Pakistan with “minor cuts.” The decision, according to Sufi, “is a simple yet powerful message that the government stands by freedom of speech, protects it, and cannot allow trivial smear campaigns or disinformation to be used as a means of stifling creative freedom.”
Joyland’s “uncertified” status needs to be removed by the government before the movie can be approved.
Following the requests of fans, political figures, and film fraternity members rallying for its release, Prime Minister Shehbaz formed an eight-member committee to re-review the film and found it unproblematic for release.
It was directed to consider the complaints against the said film that was “contrary to social norms,” and it was chaired by Federal Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
According to a press release, after a thorough deliberation at its meeting in Islamabad yesterday, it concluded that the CBFC needs to conduct a full board review immediately to make a final decision about its suitability for screening.
