The news of the award-winning movie Joyland’s release in Pakistan almost seemed too good to be true, given that the nation has a history of outlawing movies that don’t fit within its approved genres of overdone romantic comedies and formulaic action thrillers. In the past, political and social repression, as well as censorship, have had a significant impact on local film.
Any time a movie decides to step outside of the predetermined parameters and explore more sobering subjects that would make viewers think, it either faces a ban or is labelled controversial for presenting a “false reality.”
However, occasionally, there are discussions on social media about how the quality of the content being generated is lacking. But is all content created even made available? The bans raise significant concerns about who is making these decisions and whether they really consider the general public’s preferences for the movies they wish to watch.
The bans also raise the question of whether a censor board certificate even has any validity since Joyland was approved for release in Pakistan on November 18 but the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) revoked the censor certificate it had given the director months earlier due to written complaints about its “objectionable” content.
