Once again, 'Barbie' gets green signal for screening in Punjab

After a tumultuous struggle in Punjab, authorities on Tuesday gave Barbie a green signal to screen in the province. Punjab's Information Minister, Aamir Mir, stated, "The entire film censor board of Punjab has cleared the Hollywood film Barbie for screening."

This comes after a full censor board meeting was scheduled on Tuesday to reevaluate the film's content and decide whether to grant permission for its screening in Punjab. The decision itself followed a halt in the screening of the Greta Gerwig directorial due to "objectionable content."

Mir previously announced the crucial development, stating, "Barbie was previously banned in Punjab due to objectionable content." The controversy surrounding Barbie had prompted the Punjab government to take action and reevaluate its content. "After censoring objectionable parts of the film, the film board has now given it clearance for public screening," said Mir.

Mir had initially affirmed, "The Punjab government had decided to send the film to the censor board for reevaluation." The reevaluation process involved all 12 members of the censor board Punjab, including Chairman Touqeer Nasir. Mir, too, emphasised that all 12 members of the censor board Punjab, including Nasir, were present in the film's board review.

The Margot Robbie starrer, which pays homage to Mattel's iconic doll, was reevaluated by the entire board. The focus of the reevaluation process was to remove any material deemed objectionable and ensure that the film complies with the censorship guidelines set by the Punjab government. Mir stated, "After removing objectionable content, Barbie can be allowed for release."

With a green signal now given to the film, audiences in Punjab can enjoy the global box office hit, that has been raking in millions. The film revolves around Stereotypical Barbie, played by Robbie, who is struck with concerns about her mortality. She travels to the real world with Ken, who learns about the patriarchy, returning to the matriarchal Barbieland and infecting it with his learnings. The narrative follows several journeys of unlearning and life lessons that prove valuable to all.

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