Controversy continued to engulf the release of 'Joyland' as Punjab banned the film from being screened in the province, barely a day after it was cleared by the federal government.
A notice by the Punjab Information and Culture Department, and addressed to 'Joyland' producer Sarmad Sultan Khoosat on Thursday, read that under Section-9, 1 and 2 (a) and (b) of the Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979 and the rules made thereunder, the provincial government has decided to re-call 'Joyland' “in the wake of persistent complaints received from different quarters”.
The 'Joyland' saga continues, but its entry into Oscars remains intact
This notice comes after the federal government reversed a previous ban on the film, subsequent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forming an eight-member committee to review the complaints and re-evaluate its suitability for screening.
The decision was announced by Head of PM Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi.
The film had originally been cleared to screen on August 17, but was banned before its release scheduled for November 18 (Friday).
Reacting to the federal government's ban, activist and producer Malala Yousafzai, also an executive producer of 'Joyland', in her article published by Variety on November 16 stated how "the government caved to pressure from a small group of critics and overturned the censor board’s approval of the film, effectively banning it from screens across Pakistan".
"Joyland is also a love letter to Pakistan, to its culture, food, fashion and, most of all, its people. How tragic that a film created by and for Pakistanis is now banned from our screens because of claims that it does not 'represent our way of life' or 'portrays a negative image of our country'. The opposite is true — the film reflects reality for millions of ordinary Pakistanis, people who yearn for freedom and fulfilment, people who create moments of joy every day for those they love."
'Joyland': Pakistan reverses ban on movie
Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, the film portrays a romance between a married man and a transgender woman. The film has been lauded by critics, picking up many accolades on the international film festival circuit including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film stars Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani and Sania Saeed.
Earlier this year, it was nominated as Pakistan's entry for next year's Academy Awards, and award strategists working on 'Joyland' plan to give the film its required seven-day theatrical run in France by November 30, which is the qualifying release date cut-off for the Oscars’ international feature category.
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