‘Fraud Saiyaan’ cleared for release in Pakistan

Film, also starring local starlet Sara Loren, revolves around Arshad Warsi as con artist who marries several women

LAHORE: The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) has cleared upcoming Bollywood film Fraud Saiyaan for release here in Pakistan. The Punjab Film Censor Board (PFCB) and Sindh Film Censor Board (SFCB) have issued the comedy separate clearance certificates for release in their respective provinces and according to distributors, all three boards have passed it without any cuts.

The Arshad Warsi-starrer will hit about 90 cinema screens all across the nation on January 18, 2019. The weekend, however, will see three other Indian releases come to cinemas, namely The Accidental President, Why Cheat India as well as Punjabi film Kaka Ji. They will all be releasing on the same date as Fraud Saiyaan.

This means that cinema owners will completely be dependent on revenue from Bollywood films for that time period. And of course, the release of four Indian films together will only mean there will be a lot of competition between distributors and cinema owners to succeed.

PHOTO: FILE

PFCB issued the clearance certificate following a board meeting held with all the members present. According to Films Distributors, Fraud Saiyaan was given a Universal rating certificate as no objectionable dialogues or scenes were seen in this film. Local cinemagoers will also appreciate the fact that Pakistani star Sara Loren features in a prominent role opposite Warsi in the film.

Fraud Saiyaan has been presented by Prakash Jha, who has previously produced films such as Raajneeti, GangaaJal, Apaharan and Dil Kya Kare, amongst many others. Helmed by Sourabh Shrivastava, the film was purchased by Distribution Club.

Censors believe that the plot of Fraud Saiyaan and its music will contribute to its success within Pakistan. “Fraud Saiyaan will do very well in cinemas because of its unique storyline. It is an interesting family film and the fact that it stars such a versatile actor like Arshad Warsi will make it more popular among audiences,” stated a senior official from Distributors Club.

He continued, “Warsi plays the role of a con artist who marries six different women so he can take their money. The film’s music, which has been circulating on social media, has caught many people’s attention, especially the remix of old school song Chamma Chamma.”

The official went on to state that Fraud Saiyaan is a complete masala comedy and that he has no doubt it will do the best amongst the other four Bollywood films releasing this weekend. “You will notice that currently, there are a lot of Indian films playing in the cinemas. This is not only due to the lack of local releases but also because cinema owners and distributors have to do what is best for their business. We always try and promote our own films first and give them priority. We did the same with Gumm but it didn’t manage to fare well at the box office.”

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