The nationwide release of Joyland has been strictly forbidden by the censor board as a result of complaints that the movie contains “highly objectionable material.”
The Government of Pakistan has imposed a ban on the release of “Joyland”, a movie supported by Khoosat Films.
The movie was scheduled to premiere on November 18 across Pakistan. The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a directive on November 11th that made it clear that the censor board had previously approved the movie but had since changed its mind.
The story of the youngest son of a middle-class patriarchal Rana family, who joins theatre and eventually falls in love with a Trans starlet, is the focus of this Lahore-set movie. His love story reveals the aspirations and darkest secrets of the entire Rana clan.
Joyland has received a tonne of international acclaim. It had its first premiere at Cannes 2022, where the jury and audience gave it a standing ovation. It later premieres at the American Film Institute Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. The movie was now making its way to its own nation to light up the theatres after achieving so many international premieres.
Joyland, directed by Saim Sadiq, was banned on Saturday by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), which claimed that it violated the Islamic Republic of Pakistan social norms.
Numerous people and prominent figures have called for the release of the film after the notification went viral.Osama Khalid Butt, a well-known Pakistani actor, tweeted
The film’s director, Saim Sadiq, addressed the issue in an Instagram post and stated that all three censor boards saw and approved the film in August 2022.
Sania Saeed, a well-known Pakistani actor who is in the cast, also posted about the Joyland ban on her Instagram page.
She claimed that the censor board had only labelled the film as “uncertified,” not yet banned.
Osama Khalid Butt, a well-known Pakistani actor, tweeted:
Sarwat Gilani, who plays the character “Nucchi” in the film, criticised those who are “campaigning” against it before ever seeing it.
