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'Calendar Girls' is not anti-Pakistan, urges director Madhur Bhandarkar
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'Calendar Girls' is not anti-Pakistan, urges director Madhur Bhandarkar

A calendar girl from Lahore and protests in the trailer raise concerns about anti-Pakistan elements in the film
Images Staff
Updated 16 Sep, 2015

Following the ban on the film Phantom, it seems that another Bollywood flick, Calendar Girls may not release in Pakistan because of its possibly anti-Pakistan content.

However, the director Madhur Bhandarkar has stressed the film distributors to watch the film before passing any judgment or decision. The film addresses issues faced by models who pose for calendar pages, that is, 'calendar girls'.

Some parts of the trailer have raised eyebrows, such as scenes where protesters are shown carrying placards 'Pakis go home' and 'Bollywood boycott Pakistani actors' or one where a calendar girl named Nazneen Tariq from Lahore (played by an Indian actress) says, “Pakistani girls are as bold as other girls, at times more than the rest.”

Bhandarkar, however, insists that the film will not hurt Pakistani sentiments:

While the decision for its release is Pakistan remains in limbo, Calendar Girls will be up in Indian cinemas on September 25.

Comments

Azi Sep 16, 2015 11:02am
I wonder if one day they can put their everything Pakistan obsession on a pause. Or maybe its because Pakistan bashing is a good route to wealth and popularity in India? And why not when you have around 1 billion people brought up from childhood to hate the country and its people.
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Jawan Sep 16, 2015 11:10am
Phantom was different. From what I have read so far on this movie is that it's in essence it's not politically motivated or against a specific country or group. Banning every movie is not the answer. I believe we should adopt an sensible approach in this case and let the movie release across the country
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rehan Sep 16, 2015 11:15am
This may or may not be "anti-Pakistan" , but it's definitely a mindless looking film poster
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Saleem Sep 16, 2015 11:17am
I personally believe in equality .our films are not released in india and we must do just same. We are getting better slowly in making good films.let not bring this type of film or any until We have MOU signed
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Rozy Sep 16, 2015 11:39am
Another cheap attempt by an indian film producer to malign Pakistan.
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Abdulla hussain Sep 16, 2015 12:13pm
This is becoming a style for some Indian producers to make films targeting Pakistan or Pakistanis. the posters & clips are also very immoral therefore exhibition of this film should be banned in Pakistan. Unless Pakistan takes a firm stand they will they will continue to make such teaser
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Amir Shah Sep 16, 2015 12:14pm
Yet another vulgarity by Bollywood to corrupt young minds, this is surely not part of Indian culture or is it?
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ai Sep 16, 2015 12:22pm
Indians are so obsessed by Pakistanis. Have to make references to us in so many films. Anyhow, this film should be banned, because of the nude content.
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Madhur Bhandarkar Sep 16, 2015 12:50pm
The movie is about the brief stint these girls have with fame and what happens after the year goes by since they are replaced. Calenders are for models who are new to the industry.
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arun Sep 16, 2015 01:00pm
Since movie has one character as a bold Pakistani model, this information will soon be known to all, and girls in Pakistan would long to watch a character many of them dream to be as one. And why not....Swara bhaskar told us in mazaak raat that everywhere she went in pakistan the girls were so beautiful and aware. Interested audience will watch the movie whether in cinema or using a pirated DVD or by getting it copied to phone memory card. Now govt can ban it to stop some business by the distributors and cinema owners.
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MiracleInTheMaking Sep 16, 2015 01:04pm
So we've now hit Bollywood where it hurts them the most: ticket sales.
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M Shoaib Sep 16, 2015 01:29pm
This is not politically motivated film, seems harmless. Phantom was worth banning.
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Asad Masood Sep 16, 2015 01:36pm
@Madhur Bhandarkar That is shame how the director has portrayed Pakistani girls without even knowing the culture and traditions of Pakistan. How the director is expecting Pakistanis to watch a movie in which Pakistani people are ridiculed? All the director has tried is to utilize anti Pakistani sentiments in India to earn some money and now is trying to justify his act in Pakistan so he could earn some more money..!! That is nothing more than a shameful act..!!
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Vectra Sep 16, 2015 01:37pm
@Abdulla hussain What immoral poster?????,have you seen any calendar girls world over including pakistani models who do calander shoot in other countries without bikini??.The poster want to convey the same u think so.....
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ads Sep 16, 2015 01:48pm
simply one solution ban all indian junk films in pakistan
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Salam Sep 16, 2015 01:49pm
@MiracleInTheMaking Bollywood revenue in 2015 till 1st September 2015 - $4.8 billion USD Bollywood revenue from Pakistan in 2015 till 1st September 2015 - $11 million USD. Yup Bollywood is tottering from lack of ticket sales in Pakistan :)
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SaleemRaikodi Sep 16, 2015 01:53pm
@MiracleInTheMaking . Bhandarkar is the present day Guru Dutt. dont write him off as being anti Pakistan or anti anyone. Unlike many cheap film makers who thrive on jingoism or non reality, this man has the guts to take on difficult subjects. Must watch films of his are Traffic Signal, Heroine, Corporate. He deals with with serious subjects. Though some contents maybe offending but yet
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Abdulla hussain Sep 16, 2015 02:03pm
@rehan - sick of nudity projection. Are they short of cloths or short of moral. there should be a limit to body exposure, respectability lies in both side of the border with decency getting injured by such display of flesh
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truthspeaks Sep 16, 2015 02:13pm
u have to show respect if you want to do business with Pakistan, i am happy to see apologies and clarifications when a banned is post of a film, producers and directors are afraid of losing business from Pakistanis, thank you for defending us and at the same time making them realize.
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M Amjad Sep 16, 2015 02:16pm
This is a tactic used by Bollywood directors to include content which is anti pakistan, so the movie get publicity through contraversies, i think we shouldn't give importance to these sort of things...
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Indian Sep 16, 2015 02:38pm
I don't know about this film but I saw Phantom. It's not anti-Pakistan. Actually, it's a pro-Pakistan film showing Pakistanis (especially Mothers) as victim of terrorism. Any Pakistani who do NOT support terrorism will disagree with the ban.
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Dipak Singh Sep 16, 2015 02:50pm
Seems all commenters already watched Phantom through CD, Net etc. how BAN worth here.
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Muhammad Usman Sep 16, 2015 03:03pm
Pakistani movies are not shown on Indian screens. We should ban Indian movies in Pakistan to promote local talent.
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Krish Chennai Sep 16, 2015 03:22pm
@SaleemRaikodi : Agree with your comment on Bhandarkar as a superb movie-maker, but his best "must-watch" films are Chandni Bar ( where Tabu did her lifetime best role ) and Fashion. The ones you mentioned were not all that great.
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tahir baakza Sep 16, 2015 03:26pm
the country's name is pakistan and not pak,
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Junaid_Karachi Sep 16, 2015 03:33pm
Pak should also ban American Movies apart from Banning Indian Movies , Hollywood also has anti-Pak statements and annotations as well... moreover Hollywood movies has comparatively more immoral & Sexual themes than Bollywood... Lets See only Pak movies in our country...
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Junaid_Karachi Sep 16, 2015 03:39pm
@M Amjad Very True Amjad, We should start focusing our Country's failures... India has already overtook us in every field in World Economy and is in par with China & the US in the economic Growth rate.. i think its high time to focus on our house repair rather than getting bothered on some Bollywood Movies...
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Ash Sep 16, 2015 03:40pm
What's the latest way to gain free publicity for a film? hint: put a little anti pakistani dialogue and say afterwards say it on twitter its NOT an Anti Pakistani movie... lame On the other hand Pakistan keeps banning these movies, its just what Bollywood wants. Ban this and that we will clarify, Indian media will make a huge issue of this and by the time the dust settles film will make profits.
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Abhay Sep 16, 2015 03:59pm
What offence ? Have you ever seen calendar girls in Naqaab ?
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tellmore Sep 16, 2015 04:02pm
@Abdulla hussain There is nothing immoral or obsene in these films. Do not go by posters. In the movie, you won't find any thing. It is all marketing magic. If any obsene scene is there, then it will be deleted at the permission stage by censor board. Do not waste time on arguments and go n watch the movie and get good entertainment.
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Robin Sep 16, 2015 04:03pm
@Muhammad Usman ... Your local talent is already getting promoted by working in bollywood... Ban bollywood at your side and pray the fanatics at other side dont demand the same for your local talent..
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zak Sep 16, 2015 04:11pm
Indians are trying to capitalize on the 'hate Pakistan' agenda for their public. Pakistan should start banning anything that smacks of the 'hate' agenda. The more we ban, the more careful they will become. It is the Indian establishment aim, to ridicule Pakistan in Pakistan and hence the TV network they funded but our boys stunted it and changed its direction to a neutral output.
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zak Sep 16, 2015 04:17pm
Look at Pak media and see Indian media, there is a world of difference. Pak media, hardly gives much coverage to India and when it does , it is fair and informative. Whilst the Indian media has the ' Pakistan did this, Pakistan did that, Pakistan did everything and we Indians are so innocent and victims of it all'. 90% of the hate comments are abusive. India needs to mature up fast.
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Assad Sep 16, 2015 04:20pm
@jawan phantom was not banned for attacking Pakistan, that's what people don't understand. It was banned because one of the people killed in the movie was actually someone who lives in Pakistan and releasing the movie could have motivated someone to actually attempt to murder him.
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Aziz Sep 16, 2015 04:36pm
An old and worn out formula to earn some cheap and quick money in the name of art and freedom of speech. Sorry I am not spending my hard earned money on this Indian junk!
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Khurram Jadoon Sep 16, 2015 04:53pm
Just stop Indian movies release in Pakistan. Let them make whatever they want to make.
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Observer Sep 16, 2015 04:55pm
They show vulgarity stuffing young minds with filth and yet they Hue & Cry for increasing insane attitude in society.
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usman777 Sep 16, 2015 04:55pm
It's a marketing ploy. They tweet about it to create buzz within India. Anti-Pakistanism is popular and the film gets free publicity from made up controversy that has yet to materialize. Good for them for continuing to include Pak in their movies... Good for them for talking about it. Enjoy. In the meantime, they have no self-introspection to see they ban movies such as Bin Roye.
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Wana Sep 16, 2015 05:01pm
There is a scene in which Hindu fanatics are shown protesting against Pakistani models working here, how is such anti Pakistani?
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Shahid Sep 16, 2015 05:04pm
It won't be allowed in Pakistan for sure, at least due to nudity that can be seen in this teaser.
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khanm Sep 16, 2015 05:09pm
any thing that is controversial one should not ban it... let the people decide whether it is expropriate or not... why giving unnecessary hype
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gopal Sep 16, 2015 05:26pm
pakistan shouls make an anti Indian movie as well.
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gopal Sep 16, 2015 05:28pm
@Muhammad Usman Ban or no Ban, if the movie is good, everybody will watch it.
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urooj Sep 16, 2015 05:44pm
@MiracleInTheMaking best comment
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urooj Sep 16, 2015 05:57pm
@Vectra you said it.they do it outside pakistan bcoz its not our culture n yes way more than immoral we consider it.plz go to pakistan and see for yourself.
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Arisha G Sep 16, 2015 06:00pm
You know what, it is time we not given any importance to this kind of 'fake publicity stunts'. You can't restrict people to have an opinion of what they think about things/situtaions/people or (their) countries. This kind of shennaigans if i am allowed to call it that, says a lot about them rather than us. So leave it be, I say. Please do not make it worth a gossip column.
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faridullah Sep 16, 2015 06:07pm
These flashy Indian movies are just mirrage , Blind following of the west. Indian producers should focus on real issues in India i.e hunger, poverty , disease. We all know that India is famous for its under class.
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Ibrahim Sep 16, 2015 06:40pm
Pakistani artists are disliked because they charge less and tend to undermine the prevailing wages in Bollywood. Who will like if you take their jobs away? It does not matter if you are from Pakistan, BD or Sri Lanka.
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naz Sep 16, 2015 07:07pm
This should be banned for violating the moral and cultural code of our country. Irrespective of whether this will be seen behind closed doors, our cinema's shouldn't be used as an "enabler" for any rubbish over the border.....
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Seriously Sep 16, 2015 07:08pm
Seems like lately anyone who wants to get some attention in India try to attach it to Pakistan, well what can you do if you are brought up on anti Pakistan sentiment right? What baffles me the most that it works. What a shame, so much education and brain does not help,may be one day we all live on hope right. Still wish India best.
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Hussain Sep 16, 2015 07:52pm
We Pakistanis really need to take a chill pill and lighten up a little. Why does everything offend us so much that nothing short of complete ban is the only way. We don't have everything going for us. People WILL laugh at our stupidity, backwardness and mistakes. The solution is to learn from it and not kill the messenger.
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sindhu Sep 16, 2015 08:03pm
it looks obscene! allow iranian movies and not mindless movies!
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Ali Sep 16, 2015 09:24pm
@Azi I so agree with you. I live in Canada and the few Indians I have met never hesitate to spew Pakistan hatred on our faces. My life abroad has totally changed my worldview of Indians. So to all the "amn ki asha" fans.....shove it!!!!
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koncerned Sep 16, 2015 10:27pm
Ban it.. for no other reason but to hurt them where it hurts like they are hurting our cricket and hockey...!!
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Akram Sep 16, 2015 10:41pm
Who cares if this film is anti-Pakistan? The whole Indian nation is anti-Pakistan. So what?
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vgp Sep 16, 2015 11:29pm
@Shahid What nudity are you talking about? Those girls are wearing shorts. So whats wrong with that?
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aamir Sep 17, 2015 05:52pm
I Am not a frequent viewer of film either from india or west but when ever i seen a muslim character in india film that was painted as a thug or law offender or narrow minded. Especially i noticed in bajrangi film i seen few clips thogh, that pakistan was projected as intenselly backward least developed state . But on contrary our avrage life style is far mote better was infian films show
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Hasan Sep 19, 2015 05:10am
India has more than enough issues to deal internally, why play the Pakistan card every time ? Shows how Pakistan obsessed Indians are
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