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Ali Zafar defends Tere Bin
Ali Zafar appears to have given up hope of seeing his debut film - Tere Bin - ever releasing in Pakistan.
Ali Zafar urged the press to watch Tere Bin and decide for themselves if it deserved to be banned. PHOTO: NOOR JAVERI/EXPRESS
KARACHI: At a heated press conference held in Karachi on Thursday evening, Ali Zafar appeared to have given up hope of seeing his debut film – Tere Bin – ever releasing in Pakistan.
Zafar arrived back from India this week and travelled to Karachi to thank the press for their support and discuss the larger issues which had emerged with the film not being cleared for release.
“I directly appeal to the President and the Prime Minister,” Zafar said, “to consider this issue and let the film be screened in Pakistan. If there is a security risk, by that standard we should stop going to mosques, or to schools or anything else. We cannot stop life. It is a 95-minute peace tape and a pro-Pakistan film, and this will generate business for our cinemas.”
The musician highlighted that pirated DVDs of Tere Bin are being openly sold in markets, and that the film is being shown on cable TV channels as well. He waved the pirated DVD and said, “I want you to go watch the film and make a decision yourself.”
Zafar lamented the fact that “If someone wants to legally show a film, they cannot, this piracy is chor bazari.”
“I deserve to fight for this film,” Zafar told journalists. “It is key to show this film in Pakistan because the international media has picked this up as an issue and is saying that ‘Pakistan has limited freedom of expression’ and ‘Pakistan has given into security fears’. If we want to progress then we need to take a stance. We have not been able to create icons in this country because there is no system.”
Zafar referred repeatedly to the fact that the larger issue at hand was about the growth of the film industry in general and how its growth was being stunted. While he believes that “one film cannot revive cinema,” he says it is important to make and show more films so that cinemas could thrive. Zafar said that more cinemas had opened up in Pakistan because of the number of foreign films that were being shown in the country, and says Karachi could become as important a film centre as Mumbai if we could focus on cinema and the arts.
While he has received several Bollywood offers, Zafar denied he was planning to shift to Mumbai, and said while he would travel to any part of the world for work, “my home will always be Lahore.”
He repeatedly referred to the film as a ‘pro-Pakistan, peace tape’ but when asked that the film did not take a direct stance on any issue and should be promoted as a comedy, and not as a pro-Pakistan film, he said, “In India, to make a film that is not anti-Pakistani is pro-Pakistani in itself.” Writer and actor Mohammad Ahmed, who also worked on Urdu diction with the film’s cast, said that they had been very careful to not say anything in the film that was against Pakistan or its ideology.
However, the press conference was dogged with questions of why exactly Tere Bin had been disallowed. While the official reasons cited by the censor board include offensive language and that the film does not portray Pakistan positively, he was at a loss to be able to give any reason for why the film could not be screened. While he has said that he will accept whatever decision the government makes, he does not see any hope for the government changing its stance on the film’s release.
Publsihed in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2010.
Reader Comments (24)
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Carry on Ali Zafar…
> “I directly appeal to the President and the Prime Minister,” Zafar said, “to consider this issue and let the film be screened in Pakistan. If there is a security risk, by that standard we should stop going to mosques, or to schools or anything else. We cannot stop life. It is a 95-minute peace tape and a pro-Pakistan film, and this will generate business for our cinemas.”Recommend
Yes we know there are people in Pakistan who can sell their country dignity for money and fame shame on youRecommend
Well done Ali Zafar, I couldn’t have imagined that you would become yet another sell out. Now, we must stop this bs!Recommend
Good work, Ali Zafar, & to hell with the bigots who still think that the sun shines out of their society’s a**!Recommend
Just relax Zafer, give importance to your country and accept whatever they have decided about the film. Arguing with the censor board and the government will be a humiliating that can cause negative impact for our nation in the world.
Don’t become a rebellion and try to force your agenda. Try next time and make a film which will support your idea and broaden the image of Pakistan and Muslims as we have seen in the movie **KHADA KAY LIYA.**
You are born leader and Pakistani; please don’t disgrace your motherland just for the sake of a controversial movie that can just bring laughter and money.Recommend
I like his initiatives. He has opened the Pandora Box. Every Pakistani has an inherent right to express his views on day to day issues. Osama Bin Laden is not god or prophet that he can not be laughed at at cinemas. Anyway it is a good publicity flashback.Recommend
Goes to show PAKISTAN is still hostage to some taliban maniacs and the write of the gov is limited to the PRESIDENT AND PM house.
Sad to see gov backing off from its duty and responsibility and shame on PAKISTANi nation for not standing up against the minds of caves.Recommend
writ**Recommend
Reading the above comments is quite an eye opener. Aside from Mr Bhatti, no one really has anything particularly intelligent or sensible to say. @Jahanzaib, Sana and Talha. Comments like yours help people in thinking that Pakistan is a nation of backward and low IQ people. Please think hard before you write comments, you should know that they are read by people all over the world. Frankly, its embarrassing.
Pray do explain how Ali Zafar making a comedy film is selling out his nation and himself. It is only small minded idiots who believe that a comedy film brings disgrace to the motherland. If you are educated enough to be using the internet and typing in English, at least TRY and make informed comments rather than spouting whatever rubbish is at the top of your head.
I know this post is useless as all my experience with people like yourselves (pardon the generalization) is that its easier explaining something to a brick wall or a mindless animal.. So I shall sit and chuckle as surely many outraged and idiotic responses will come!Recommend
i’m actually surprised at the reactions pasted here. on what basis is he being called a sell out? its just a film, like so many other films being made all across the world about so many different (and in some cases controversial) topics and should be taken rationally. banning the film for the above mentioned reasons is just lame! what needs to be changed is our inability to deal with things that are different to our own beliefs. i think we can compare the banning of this film with the banning of facebook a little while ago and it did no good to our image as a country!Recommend
@ amir rashid
very well said! i totally agreeRecommend
Agreed with amir rashidRecommend
A girl should be allowed to dream for dignity.
A boy should be allowed to scream against indignity.Recommend
India makes talent. Pakistan breaks talent.Recommend
Amir Rashid, bro although i have not watched this movie but i have read reviews about the movie plus I closely follow some of the Indian news papers like TOI, the reviews they have published about this film is worth reading for people like you so that it may opens up your eyes and in general the newses they publish about Pakistan even our evening news papers do not publish and then read the comments on those newses you will be astonished to know the hatred these Indians have for your country.I am pretty much sure you do not even know why this film is banned by censor board and u r favoring and try to be so called open minded and liberal.And friend writing in English is by no mean any standard to be an educated person, yes I know 60 years are very less to come out of the complex of our ex masters language and culture.Sadly but its the fact the mediocre like you make a lot of out country population.Recommend
Ali.Zafar is a intelegent singer, m sure his film will be a hit one. Shame 4 concerns who did’nt cleared his film for release. They dishert the people those are working for Pakistan. One of example “Adnan Sami”Recommend
I agree with Amir Rashid. @ Jahanzaib, the “newses” is that you make a good case of what Amir has said in his post. LOLRecommend
Honorable Amir Rashid , with all due respect
Please develop the habit of tolerance.
You have to accept that there is a government and a reliable people sitting in some senior institution. Their orders are based on their position and integrity.
If you are not a capable person than let the authority takes the final decision. Please behave maturely and write in a well-mannered way to a serious forum. This is the problem of PAKISTAN that everybody has their own view which they wanted to be accepted by all means.
The movie is not worth and looks against the wishes of the approval authorities.Recommend
I have not yet seen the movie, but I think it is a good effort from Ali Zafar’s part to show that Pakistan has talent. our country would be a more peaceful place if people were given the choice to have access to entertainment and humour.Recommend
I have watched the movie. There is nothing like in the movie which makes it inappropriate to be viewed in Pakistan. I wonder why they have banned it. I think the censor board is trying to be over efficient.Recommend
@Jahanzaib Sb – If the critic arent huge on a movie, doesnt mean it shouldnt be aired.. let the public decide if they like it nor not.. i dont doubt many Indians have hatred for us, as do we for them, however what bearing does that have on the argument before us? Typing in English points towards a high standard of education for in Pakistan only those who can afford expensive privte tuition can learn decent English.. Your post is a bit of a let down, thought it would have more juice :S
@Talha Sb – The fact that you consider the people in our senior institutions are reliable and that they have integrity and are capable is shocking enough of a statement.. not even die hard “Pipliyas’ claim that.. In a free and democratic country, the fact that there is an approval authority for deciding what movie can be shown is shocking enough..Recommend
Zaraf Bhi,
Censor board is need some “$” pls :)Recommend
The under mentioned link is self explanatory and useful for those who wanted to learn the misguided concept.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/30459/heads-you-lose-tails-we-win/Recommend
“Tere Bin” is running (2nd week)to a good receptive audience in KL Malaysia. So also “Lamha” – a film depicting the freedom struggle in Kashmir. Some of the anti-Indian dialogues and army action scenes in the film are quite bold and tolerated by India. However, it would NEVER have been palatable for the Pakistani establishment had it been potrayed the other way around.Recommend