‘Neerja was never banned in Pakistan’

Censor board official says film not submitted for reviewing

KARACHI: The upcoming Sonam Kapoor-starrer Neerja drew attention the moment filmmaker Ram Madhvani announced the project. After all, the film explores the story of flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who despite the odds, laid her life in the line of duty during the 1986 Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking incident that took place in Karachi.

However, it seems the film will by no means make it to Pakistani theatres on February 19.

Here's how much Neerja's family charged for biopic starring Sonam Kapoor

On Tuesday, it was revealed that the NOC for the film’s import was revoked by the federal commerce ministry soon after the document was issued. On the other hand, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) maintains the film should not be considered as ‘banned’ in Pakistan. “Neerja was never imported nor submitted to us for reviewing in the first place. Banning the film is out of the question,” says a CBFC official, requesting anonymity. When asked about the controversy surrounding the film’s NOC, the official said, “Relevant authorities should be asked about this. All we know is that we did not ban the film since it never made it to us.”

Neerja has been produced under the banner of Fox Star Studios.

Watch the trailer here:


Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2016.

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