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6 things you should do this weekend since you're not watching Veere Di Wedding

6 things you should do this weekend since you're not watching Veere Di Wedding

Did you earmark this weekend to watch Veere Di Wedding? Don't know what to do with your time now?
Updated 01 Jun, 2018

Did you clear your schedule this weekend especially to watch Veere Di Wedding? Don't know what to do with your time now that it's been banned in Pakistan?

We feel you, we're in the same boat.

Here are a few ideas for how you can use your time instead, while also staying true to the movie's badass theme.

1) Use your unused ticket money to support these awesome women's rights groups

If you aren't shelling out that Rs1000 to watch Veere Di Wedding, save it for NGOs that are all about helping women live more fulfilling lives.

Want to give fellow women a leg-up on their dreams? Give Circle Pakistan a shout-out. Startled by the poor health stats in villages? doctHERS will appreciate your support. Tired of seeing your friends being stalked online? Show some love to the Digital Rights Foundation. Or go ahead and find a charity or rights group you identify with, and then show them some love.

Veere's a film that champions women's right to live life on their own terms and you can do this too.

2) Go ahead and talk about sexuality in public

We think one of the biggest reasons behind the film's ban is the fact that the trailer shows women discussing their sex lives. And while censors say that's vulgar, we think it's zaroori!

You know what happens when there's no sex ed? Our burgeoning youth population has to turn to 'alternate' (read: dodgy) sources for information about 101 stuff like puberty, contraception and STDs.

Moreover, it's no secret that many married women struggle to find satisfaction in their sex lives due to issues that are possible to remedy should they have access to the right resources.

Talking about sexuality with people you trust lead to healthier, happier lives, so normalising conversations about sexuality is important.

3) Endlessly share the trailer on social media

Yep, just troll the censors right back.

4) Organise a movie night and watch other banned films like PadMan

The cinemas may not be able to bring the films to you, but you can bring the film to you and your movie buds!

Organise a banned movie night with your friends and enjoy films like PadMan and Raees, which were banned for arbitrary reasons like being against "our culture and traditions".

5) Tag the censor board and call out content that's actually offensive

Tweet at PEMRA to alert their attention to the actually horrible stuff on TV/cinema screens.

Enough said.

6) Support female talent in the arts by watching their movies, listening to their music and more!

Heard about that really awesome female-directed drama (Mehreen Jabbar's Jackson Heights, Angeline Malik's Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain) but never got around to watching it? Were you meaning to check out that female-run fashion brands your friend was talking about? Do it now.

Comments

N K Gurjar Jun 01, 2018 06:14pm
Good movies which are progressive type should not be banned. The censor board is to be overhauled first where old thinking people to be ousted and young people inducted.
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Javed ALi Jun 01, 2018 08:36pm
Awesome. Well put. If censors should censor the really egregious stuff put on the screen in the name of piety and honor. We need to grow up.
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Arujn Jun 01, 2018 09:15pm
Bravo Dawn!
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Debasis Jun 01, 2018 09:32pm
Salute from India for writing such path breaking ideas. To be honest Women have to fight their own battle of old age tradition, culture : Men will never want this liberating ideas. Most of the problems will disappear only if we discuss openly & through awareness. Go girls show the Men who take decisions on your behalf what u r capable of . And men just forget that it the women who keep them in their womb & bring them into this universe.
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riz1 Jun 02, 2018 08:30am
Guts. Hats off to the author. The question is, how long will such an article remain here? But then its english media, so I guess tolerable to the ones who matter (read decide). Had such articles been parallely penned in Urdu and English, we will see banning reactions much quicker.
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S.A.Khan Jun 03, 2018 01:17pm
Agreed 1-4 and 6. Disagree 5. No scale of moralty stated to determine social offensiveness. I guess Kissing in the Indian Films is one. Suppression of expression of love tenderness of family efection
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