Zindagi Tamasha release postponed

By NewsBytes
January 23, 2020

Sarmad Khoosat’s upcoming film, Zindagi Tamasha, scheduled to release on January 24, 2020 initially came under scrutiny for having ‘objectionable’ content. Amidst threats and warnings, the film’s release has been postponed by the federal government for now.

In a recent statement, issued yesterday, Special Advisor to Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan tweeted, “The Central Board of Film has decided to immediately reach out to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to critically review Zindagi Tamasha. Producer of the film has been directed to postpone the film’s release.”

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Prior to the statement, the Government of Punjab through its Information and Culture Department barred filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat from releasing the film “in wake of persistent complaints received from different quarters”. After this, the Sindh Government also placed a ban on the film citing the reason that it could create potential unrest within the religious segment of the society and disrupt peace.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government, the film will be re-examined for which the filmmaker has been asked to arrange a screening “in any cinema house” on February 3 at 3 pm, so it may be reviewed. The film’s team has also been told to ensure the presence of a representative “for personal hearing, if required by the committee”.

Meanwhile, the director has also been instructed not to release the film “till final decision of the committee”.

The Punjab and Sindh censor boards had cleared the film earlier. According to reports, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will once again hold a board members meeting to review the film in which a representative of those who find the film potentially offensive will be present; a representative of the ministry will also participate.Protests against the film that were scheduled for today have been cancelled, given the temporary ban on its release.

This is a developing story...

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