To screen or not to screen, that is the question

Haider’s release in Pakistan faces indefinite delay, with distributors citing depiction of Kashmir a cause of...

KARACHI: It seems that after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s empathic call at the 69th United Nations General Assembly for resolving the Kashmir issue was slammed by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, distributors will shy away from releasing films involving the disputed territory. Coinciding with the recent chain of events is the release of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider, which has been put on indefinite hold in Pakistan, with local distributors citing depiction of Kashmir in the film as a cause for concern.

“Since Haider is set in Kashmir and revolves around a controversial topic, we won’t be importing the film as yet. This certainly does not mean that the film won’t be releasing in Pakistan,” Chairman of IMGC Entertainment, Amjad Rasheed, tells The Express Tribune. “We will wait for the film to release internationally and analyse its theme before rendering it suitable for Pakistani audiences,” he adds.

Haider was not expected to do great business at the Pakistani box office, as it was facing stiff competition from films, such as Operation O21, Bang Bang and Na Maloom Afraad. Interestingly, it could be said that IMGC Entertainment is viewing the halt to Haider’s release as an opportunity to clear the way for Bang Bang and Operation 021, which are being distributed by them in Pakistan.

An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Haider is set for an October 2 release. It is the third instalment of Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy after Maqbool (2002) and Omkara (2006), and set against the backdrop of Kashmir with Shahid Kapoor playing the eponymous role.



The film tells the story of Haider (Shahid Kapoor), who returns to Kashmir after the mysterious disappearance of his father (Irrfan Khan). On his return, he discovers that his mother Ghazala (Tabu) has married her brother-in-law (Kay Kay Menon). Shraddha Kapoor plays the role of a journalist, Arshia, who is Haider’s love-interest. The film primarily centralises the oddity of the love-hate relationship between Haider and his mother.