Did you know? Dukhtar postponed till September

The much-awaited Pakistani film Dukhtar, which was slated for an Independence Day release, has been postponed till September 18.

The film’s director Afia Nathaniel told The Express Tribune that apart from this, Dukhtar’s team will soon issue an official press release to announce its plans for the film’s international release. “We thank all our fans for their patience and excitement as we unroll our plans for a major release,” she said.

Nathaniel didn’t divulge much when asked to elaborate on the reason for the delay. But sources have told The Express Tribune that the film is being delayed due to Imran Khan’s Azaadi March on August 14, as the Islamabad cinema circuit will remain inaccessible for the audience on the day.

On the other hand, Nadeem Mandviwalla, owner of Centaurus Cineplex in Islamabad, said that the accessibility of Centaurus in Islamabad on August 14 depends on accessibility to the mall. “The cinema will open if the mall opens and vice versa,” he said.

A few cinemas in Punjab have decided that they will halt business if need be, but the Cinema Owners Association has not given an official statement on this. “We can’t say what is going to happen on August 14, so we are not issuing any official circular for the opening or closing of cinemas on the day,” commented Zuraiz Lashari, who is the chairman of the association. “It will be an individual decision on the exhibitor’s behalf.”

Other than Dukhtar’s initial release date, Expendables 3 is slated for an August 14 release and the film has already been submitted for certification to the Sindh censor board.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2014.

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