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Banning Bin Laden
Our board of film censors is inherently flawed, of dubious intellect and highly erratic in its thinking. Often acting...
The writer owns and runs Lotus Public Relations in Lahore (selina.rashid@tribune.com.pk)
Our board of film censors is inherently flawed, of dubious intellect and highly erratic in its thinking. Often acting as a right wing morality police, it has in recent times been responsible for the banning of quality theatre, film and television. In a country where new ideas and fresh art have the potential to propel Pakistan forward and the potential to make us think and appreciate a world outside the confines of our four walls, the censors act as a consistent impediment.
The PPP government claims to be all for a free media and the importance of a vibrant civil society. But its actions indicate otherwise. The reason for the ban is that the film has been deemed a security risk — which makes me wonder whether moral policing has now become mixed with guarding our national interests.
We Pakistanis are always quick to criticise America (in particular people like George Bush Jr) for its cavalier attitude in making militant and provocative declarations and behaving abominably in the interest of ‘national security’ in this war on terror. The banning of a film in which a nationally-acclaimed youth icon features is manifest of this same myopic attitude. The issue should not be to ban and hence prevent people from watching the movie but rather to letting them watch and making their own decision on whether it is harmful or not. When are these censor boards and similar kind of officious and meddlesome government bodies going to understand that Pakistanis are not stupid? We can think for ourselves, with or without a classroom education. In fact, the more we are exposed to the arts, both national and international, the more likely we are to learn, imbibe and think.
Furthermore, the notion that the screening of this humorous, satirical film will damage the country’s international reputation and cause an upset in the zero sum game of power with India or further destablise our already precarious security situation is untenable. This, in turn, gives rise to the question: where will the ‘democratic’ state draw the line? Data Sahib was bombed as was the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad for instance — are we going to ban the building of shrines and hotels too in the interests of national security? Is it not the decision of cinema owners, hoteliers, restaurant owners to decide whether their respective establishments are safe?
When I first heard of Ali Zafar’s film, the first thought was ‘I wonder if I will get to see it.’ That I had to ask myself whether the film would see the light of day in my country is sad indeed. This whole ‘will they allow it?’ debate appears almost as a normal reaction.
It makes one livid to see a talented and hard-working Pakistani professional suffer in his own country, and yet be supported and celebrated in countries that are not his. The fundamental question here is that where should the state draw the line in its interference with private matters and decisions that are best left to civil society to make?
We Pakistanis should be celebrating Ali Zafar’s movie and given the chance to go en masse to the cinema to support a Pakistani who is trying to do something worthwhile. Above all, we should be given the opportunity and the choice to decide for ourselves whether the film is good or bad. Banning a film, in fact, will make even those people want to see it who otherwise may have not wanted to in the first place.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2010.
Reader Comments (10)
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The film is blasphemous and should be banned it shows a guy putting on beard which is fake and therefore the whole film is a lie and lies are banned! So there! We should hear the sermons of the maulvis on friday supporting the banning of bin laden (thats this film not the great sheikh himself as that would be blasphemy)Recommend
Al qaeda is firmly intrenched in Pakistan and it could attack cinemas to avenge the humiliation of their leader. Its not about India, morality or anything else, its a serious security risk. We cant even protect our GHQ, how will we protect our cinemas?Recommend
Security is indeed an issue in Pakistan, why making brouhaha over the film which is monetarily benefiting India. Ali Zafar is just an actor representing Bollywood in Pakistan, its not a Lolly or Hollywood movie neither it has anything to do with Pakistani Nationalism. Its about making or breaking a career of an individual who’s representing India and will make money from wherever he wants to.
Let Pakistan pursue its policies according to the ground realities. Suicide bombing in shrine was an unexpected move from the terrorist as they never attacked least controversial places, instead of deploying heavy artillery outside cinemas why not ban the movie based on highly sensitive content which can possibly stir terrorism. Why to provoke terrorists for more damage by making fun of them ?
Can India, Bollywood or Ali Zafar guarantee safety assurances to our audience ?Recommend
How simple your questions are on the censorship of a single movie? Is it worth to criticize on the government and on the team of professionals?
No doubt that we have the freedom of speech and the media is open, but it does not mean that we put finger on our public institutions without knowing the facts. Its time to give respect and in return you earn respect. Let the leadership of all the institution works according to their mind set that can bring our county to prosperity.
A movie is not superior to our nation. You should write articles on enthusiasm and unity that can bring cherish to the nation.
.Recommend
at one point the censor board had banned bananas, olives, cherries, and sundry fruits which resembled the human anatomy. this was not very long ago….Recommend
Please, Ali Zafar is not a national, youth icon who will lose his livelihood and die of starvation because of this ban. Let’s be sensible. We are not talking about rational people here. The Taliban or whoever is attacking shrines and hospitals are not far from attacking cinemas. Why should we give them an excuse for a runaway actor who has found some $$ in India to star in a movie?!? I agree with a previous commenter that this not a Lollywood movie that was banned. Our Censor Board has every right to ban something that will create unnecessary security risks. “Ban” is not a four letter word!!! Let some sense prevail – there will be ample time to view stupid movies once we have solved more serious national crises. And while we’re at it, if you have the pen and the power to write, please spend your time writing on more serious national issues and what the government and people should be doing about them than waste precious time on protecting the PR rights of Ali Zafar who has done nothing remarkable for Pakistan.Recommend
@Rehaana.
Very rightRecommend
I completely agree with author here. Because first of all, it was a brave effort to present the issue of terrorism in a satirical way and secondly such activities actually depict how a common man thinks about the issue of terrorism and extremism.Recommend
Ms. Selina runs a PR firm but i am sorry the article lacks the rationale of promoting this movie…Recommend
i happened to see the trailer months back on youtube, and then abroad and honestly didn’t find it humorous! it’s an indian film with a pakistani artist out to show his versatility and tell shoaib mansoor that he can get a better deal than khuda kay liay (zafar shot for some footage). somewhere in some cave is a man who is accused of terrorism and with questionable and doubtful loyalty and intention, and here he is presented by an indian as someone like (the pretentious joker) lalu prasad yadav! i am not being (too) serious, or say taking the film seriously without watching it (and i am not interested), but as the theme of the movie is about making a video of (a fake) laden did it ever occur that till date despite some pakistani journalists meeting him not a single local channel ever received a video from him? farce and satire is enjoyable and the last (indian) one which i enjoyed was the superb ‘the president is coming’. let’s stop using the word ban here as half the population of every major city must have watched it on video, and it’s simply one of those movies which are watched at one’s discretion and to whet curiosity. not allowing it at theaters is another matter as the censors has to consider the masses, and not a select few who spewing english want to be seen at a multiplex, or some cramped edifice passing for it. having access to laden in the past ask one of those journalists to find out if laden watched it and does he think it should be released here? just for nothing a controversial, and i repeat a suspicious figure is being glorified at the expense of farcical or whatever you call it entertainment. mr. zafar, as you wanted, you have succeeded in gaining a foothold in bollywood, but be careful as many before you have slipped and came rolling back!Recommend