‘Namaste England’ releases in Pakistan

Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra-starrer hits cinema screens without any cuts

LAHORE: Multiple Bollywood films did not see the light of the day in Pakistan this year. From Mulk reportedly showcasing Muslims in a negative light to Veere Di Wedding coming under fire for its vulgar language, the projects did not hit cinema screens in the country. However, in a recent turn of events, the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) cleared the Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra-starrer Namaste England for release yesterday, without any cuts. A full house meeting was held during which members of the board issued a clearance certificate for the film.

PHOTO: NEWS X

Likewise, censor boards in Punjab and Sindh did not have any objections to the Vipul Shah directorial. After buying the rights to Namaste England, Distribution Club has been carrying out promotional campaigns in various cities. “Our entire team at CBFC watched and reviewed the film and issued a universal rating. No scene or dialogue in the film is offensive. It is a romantic comedy and a pure family film and so no board members disapproved its release in Pakistan. All other censor boards did not have any problems with the film either,” a senior CBFC official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity.

The 2007 prequel Namaste London featured actors Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif and had an impressive run at the local as well as Indian box office. The script has been penned by Suresh Nasir and Ritesh Shah. “We are expecting a good response from public, especially young cinemagoers. Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra are the artists of the youth and are extremely talented. In this connection, the younger generation will be able to relate to the film more,” added another CBFC member. “The film is releasing in all big cities and we have been running advertisement campaigns on our social network sties as well.”

PHOTO: DNA INDIA

A major reason for audiences to like Namaste England is because two big names in Pakistani music have composed songs for the film. The Atif Aslam-crooned track Tere Liye is the title song of the film. The single, written by lyricist Javed Akhtar, has already opened to a great response in Pakistan and India. Renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also lent his vocals to the song Tu Mere Main Tera, written by Akhtar as well.

Parineeti plays the role of a Punjabi girl who moves to England to pursue her life goals while Arjun essays her love interest in the film. The latter follows her to London. The couple’s love story traces along different places from Punjab to Dhaka to Paris to Brussels to finally London.

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