Information ministry bans screening of “Joyland” after criticism

Saim Sadiq’s film Joyland has been banned by the government of Pakistan on account of highly objectionable and repugnant material as slated in the official notice issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Joyland became the first Pakistani film won the feminist themed award at Cannes Film Festival.Two months later on Aug 17, the central board of film censors (CBFC) issued it the necessary censor certificate and the film was slated to be screened in Pakistani cinemas on Nov 18 but on Nov 11 Friday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cancelled its license after receiving complaints that “the film contains highly objectionable material which does not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of decency and morality; as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979”

Reacting on the ban of “Joyland” Lollywood celebrities including Sarwat Gilani, Osman Khalid Butt, Abdullah Siddiqui Mera Sethi, Sanam Saeed and many more are raising voices on their social media platforms.

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A post shared by Saim Sadiq (@saim.sadiq)

There’s a paid smear campaign doing rounds against #Joyland, a film that made history for Pakistani cinema, got passed by all censor boards but now authorities are caving into pressure from some malicious people who have not even seen the film. #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official

— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022

Shameful that a Pakistani film made by 200 Pakistanis over 6 years that got standing ovations from Toronto to Cairo to Cannes is being hindered in its own country. Don’t take away this moment of pride and joy from our people! #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official @GovtofPakistan

— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022

No one’s forcing anyone to watch it! So don’t force anyone to not watch it either! Pakistani viewers are smart enough to know what they want to watch or not. Let Pakistanis decide! Don’t insult their intelligence and our hard work! #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official @GovtofPakistan

— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022

To the @MoIB_Official:
Can you please confirm the authenticity of this letter (shared by a member of Senate), because if Joyland has been declared an uncertified film, I've got some questions.
/cont'd. pic.twitter.com/YqnVjuGymF

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

The CFBC cleared Joyland for release in August. So the members of the Board had no issues with the theme/content of the film, correct?
The film is set to release on the 18th, which makes point 2 not just severely misleading but factually incorrect.
/cont'd.

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

As a nation that has celebrated Joyland's many milestones and achievements, it is incredibly disheartening to see you cave under the pressure of 'written complaints' (by..who, exactly? Where and how have these people seen the film?)
/cont'd.

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

It's baffling to me that even after Joyland made history at Cannes, after all the international critical acclaim it has received, after Pakistan itself submitted the film for Best International Feature at the Oscars, it is somehow (a week before release) unfit for our audiences?

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

There are testimonies by people who've 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 seen the film at Cannes, at TIFF (not those judging by hearsay/bias), who claim there's absolutely nothing objectionable about Joyland.
We've seen the same happen with Verna, with Maalik, with Zindagi Tamasha...
/cont'd.

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

Can our cinema please, for once, not be held hostage by what seems to be an entirely arbitrary Ordinance?
There seems to be no issue with hyperviolence, regressive themes, adult jokes and content, overt sexualisation onscreen...but trans representation is where we draw the line?

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

If the themes of Joyland (and this is a hypothesis - I haven't seen the film) are too sensitive/mature for general audiences, then give it an appropriate rating. There's precedent.
But don't deprive us of watching the film.#ReleaseJoyland

— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022

Hi @Marriyum_A. The ban on #Joyland makes no sense.

(1) You can’t claim to be a democrat but go around banning movies and art!

(2) We go on about “showing Pakistan’s positive side”—this movie does exactly that, by putting Pakistani cinema on the world map. #ReleaseJoyland

— Mira Sethi (@sethimirajee) November 13, 2022

#ReleaseJoyland ! There is no reason not to. Be proud of the work that our artists create not afraid! Give your own people the respect they get in foreign lands. Support us, stand by us and we as Pakistani artists will make this country proud! https://t.co/6jQizg0Xbx

— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) November 13, 2022