Barbie screening temporarily stopped in Pakistan's Punjab; edited version released

The Hollywood movie 'Barbie', directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, recently faced a significant hurdle in Pakistan's Punjab province. The film's screening was temporarily halted due to what officials termed as "objectionable content". This decision sparked a wave of speculation and criticism, particularly on social media platforms.

The controversy began when the Punjab Film Censor Board did not issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the film. Reports of the movie being banned started circulating online, with some movie-goers even claiming that they were asked to get a refund for their tickets as the movie stopped screening midway. Major cinemas in Lahore, the provincial capital, such as Cue Cinemas, Cine Star, and Universal Cinemas, were not screening the movie, further fuelling speculations of a possible ban.

The "objectionable content" referred to dialogues that allegedly promoted homosexuality, a topic considered taboo and outlawed in Pakistan. The film was later allowed to be screened after these dialogues were removed. However, this decision was met with backlash from various quarters. Critics argued that the censorship reflected an intolerance towards LGBTQ+ content and a pandering to rigid religious fanatics.

Interestingly, the local distributor HKC Entertainment initially resisted the censor board’s demand to remove the said dialogues. However, they eventually agreed to make the changes, and the movie was subsequently released across the Punjab province. It is noteworthy that the movie did not face any cuts in other areas of Pakistan, including Sindh and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

This incident is not an isolated one. Pakistan has a history of banning films that challenge cultural norms or are perceived to violate the country's social, cultural, and religious values. For instance, in November 2022, the film 'Joyland' faced a nationwide ban for its LGBTQ+ content. Similarly, in 2019, the film 'Zindagi Tamasha' was banned after its director was accused of blasphemy by a far-right religious party.

The temporary ban on 'Barbie' drew criticism on social media, with users questioning the rationale behind the decision. Some pointed out that there was no explicit LGBTQ+ content in the movie, while others criticized the perceived intolerance towards content that challenges societal norms.

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