A look back at recent films that have been banned in Pakistan for one outrageous reason or another.
Pakistani censors have been doing their job diligently in keeping the audience ‘clean’ and giving them the best possible version of any film coming from abroad, including India.
Be it ‘muting’ the countless expletives in Udta Punjab or chopping off vital scenes from Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Airlift to not clearing Neerja (some reports suggest that the movie wasn’t even presented to the Censors), they have been super busy with their scissors.
In recent times, they first banned John Abraham-Varun Dhawan action feature Dishoom (for no obvious reasons) and have now placed a ban on Jawed Sheikh-Momal Sheikh’s Happy Bhag Jayegi. Apparently, its because the jokes have been deemed inappropriate with the intent to hurt the locals – that’s us.
So here’s a quick look at five films that were banned in Pakistan for ridiculous reasons and would they have done well in the country.
Welcome to Karachi (2015)
Had I been a member of the Censor Board I would have banned this film for featuring Jackky Bhagnani as the leading man. The son of the film producer cannot act to save his life yet he was paired with the Circuit of Bollywood, Arshad Warsi. It wasn’t a serious film like other banned entities – Phantom, Ek Tha Tiger and Agent Vinod – but a comedy film that showed Pakistan as a country torn by war. Veteran actor Ayub Khoso played the Taliban Chief in the movie whereas Adnan Shah Tipu and Kubra Khan were there in supporting roles – former as a terrorist, latter as a spy. The film was released in India last year and bombed at the box office for lack of wit, humour and above all, satire.
Baby (2015)
Ever since he went back from his one-day trip to Lahore a decade back, Akshay Kumar has not worked in films that humiliate Pakistan. That’s one reason why people were looking forward to Kumar’s Baby. It was dubbed as an action film against Arab terrorists, not Pakistan. Yes, references to spy agents/agencies were shown in the film but that part could have been edited and the film should have been released. Veteran actor Rasheed Naz and local heartthrob Mikaal Zulfiqar were part of the cast as well but once the ban was enforced, their ambitions went away with it.
Haider (2014)
Vishal Bhardwaj’s critically acclaimed film, Haider favoured Pakistan more than it favoured India. Despite this irony, the film wasn’t released in the country. It may have drawn inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet but it was really about Kashmir. It certainly wasn’t new to Bollywood which has a long love affair with the valley drenched in blood.
In Haider, Shahid Kapoor played the titular role and the film’s cast was a revelation since it included the likes of Kay Menon, Tabu. Irrfan Khan and Shraddha Kapoor.
The ban placed on Haider had one positive consequence though. It gave Na Maloom Afraad room to run wild and the film went on to become a blockbuster. It was released the same day as Haider would have in Pakistan.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
There can’t be a better biographical film than Bhaag Milkha Bhaag but for Pakistani censors, it was too much to digest. The film was made on the life and times of Indian athlete Milkha Singh, a role that was essayed by Farhan Akhtar and one that made us all applaud his talent as an actor. With a guest appearance from our very own Meesha Shafi (as an Iranian athlete, Parizad) and the presence of Arif Lohar and Javed Bashir on the film’s soundtrack, it deserved to release but sadly that didn’t happen.
Yes, the way Pakistan’s much superior athlete Abdul Khaliq was portrayed in the film was disgusting but wouldn’t we have shown Milkha as the bad man had the film been about our star performer?
Tere Bin Laden (2010)
The cross-border exchange of talent took on new meaning when Ali Zafar was cast in Tere Bin Laden as the lead. You could even say that it’s the film that re-started this movement. However, Tere Bin Laden never made it to local cinemas. And it wasn’t because of the film’s content but on grounds that extremists could use the film as a pretext to launch attacks.
It also came at a terrible time, nearly 7 years ago when the release of Indian films was allowed in Pakistan after four decades and after stalwarts’ refusal to work in Pakistan-bashing flicks.
The film was funny and became quite successful upon its release but due to security issues, it wasn’t allowed a screening in Pakistan, where within the next 2 years, Nishat Cinema was set ablaze by hooligans and Capri was partially destroyed.