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Lafangey director Abdull Khaaliq Khan says he wasn’t officially informed the movie had been banned

Lafangey director Abdull Khaaliq Khan says he wasn’t officially informed the movie had been banned

He said the censor board hadn't sent them an official statement or letter, nor had it shared the news through a verified channel.
05 Jul, 2022

Just a week after the official teaser for Lafangey dropped online, news broke that Mani and Sami Khan’s film has been banned from being screened in theatres this Eid. Director Abdull Khaaliq Khan told Images that he hadn’t received any official statement or letter to notify him of this.

“No letter was sent, no producer met with the censor board, this decision was taken unanimously to reject the film,” he said.

He called it “strange” and questioned if this “punishment” is on the basis of his province of origin, Balochistan. “If I was from Punjab or Sindh I could’ve been saved but it’s obvious that if a person from Balochistan makes a film, this is what’s going to happen with him. You know how Balochis are not given their rights and often silenced.”

At a loss for words, Khan said that a lot of “money, energy and time” went into making the film and now all of it has gone to “waste”.

According to Khan, it’s the censor board’s job to inform the production team if a certain scene or dialogue needs to be removed and he added that so far, neither the producer nor the director have received a letter or email. “We don’t have any written document, it’s just everyone talking around us about the ban. They didn’t even watch the entire film. I will involve a lawyer and ask how is it even possible to reject a film without involving the director or previewing the film itself.”

For him, what’s important is to confront issues, to have a “Q&A session” and to define why the film is being rejected with support of legal documents. “I’m also reading this information from social media. I don’t know if the chairman has said these things as I read a page quote that he has shut down the film,” he said.

“I’ve been asking what is happening to the people of Balochistan? I’m not the first person, check the channels, they don’t have the right to make films, to do something good, they don’t have the rights and these rights are being snatched away.”

Khan said that it’s better that an official announcement is made that whoever wants to make any film, must send their scripts to censor board first and then wait to get the green signal. At least you’ll be able to save millions then, he said.

Khan said it’s the duty of the censor board to call the director or producer to preview the film, entertain questions and answers and then an official email or letter is handed out in regards to the film being approved or rejected.

The filmmaker of Lafangey called it sheer “stupidity” to announce the news via Facebook instead of informing him and the crew. “They aren’t giving us any letter or reasoning as to why the film was rejected in the first place. We’re getting this information through Facebook that censor board of Pakistan has banned the film. If the film is of 2 hours and 15 mins, one can censor it by giving an adult certificate or minimise it to 1 hour, but either way there has to be an official letter. They don’t have an official Instagram account or even an updated website, I don’t know Muneer Arshad, neither do you.”

The film stars comedian Mani, Khan, Nazish Jahangir, Meraj, Gabol and Behroze Sabzwari. It saw four men enter an old house that they believed to be captured by ghosts. They are seen wandering around the new property from the outside, the “four nobodies” have nothing but dreams, according to the trailer.

Lafangey is one of many films to have been banned by the censor board recently. Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha and Abu Aleeha’s Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story of A Serial Killer were also banned for their content. Zindagi Tamasha was later approved for release. Javed Iqbal premiered at the UK Film Festival two months ago but has still not screened in Pakistan.

Comments

Ash Chak Jul 05, 2022 06:48pm
Rubbish film. But did not deserve to be banned any more than all the other garbage films passing around as entertainment.
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Mr ehtsham mahmood Jul 05, 2022 07:50pm
I was looking forward to this movie but not anymore. The way khan turned censorship of this movie into blochistan conflict is pathetic. Censorship board behaviour is unreasonable and unprofessional. But im sure they banned alot more movies from punjab and sindh then blochistan because they produced alot more movies. How can this person use blochistan name for his film to pressure authorities. I'm simply not gonna watch this movie.
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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Jul 05, 2022 08:00pm
This movie would have been a disaster at the box office. The director should be happy if the movie has been banned. Nice excuse, take advantage.
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A.Ali Jul 05, 2022 08:10pm
Very funny, here govt are changed by paying money... you haven't paid money so your movie is banned.
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Amjad shoaib Jul 05, 2022 10:16pm
Immediately played the sectarian card. Shame
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vin Jul 05, 2022 11:24pm
Super Hit movie got banned.
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A Pakistani Jul 06, 2022 10:34am
Did you guys watch the trailer? The movie should have been banned instantly, the dialogue were absolutely horrendous, one cannot sit with family and watch this movie.
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Ameer Jul 06, 2022 11:40am
Cheap and third-class comedy in the name of entertainment is not acceptable. There is a safe passage where you can both be entertaining and successful. Many past legends have done some extremely quality work for instance Moin Akhter.
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NYS Jul 06, 2022 01:12pm
Sensor board should follow the pursuit ... Any scripted film were litmus test before shoot so that they can escape from hefty loss and ban before hand
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