Resham's Swaarangi banned by Pakistan's central censor board

The film was initially scheduled to be released on August 28 but was later pushed to September 11

The film was initially scheduled to be released on August 28 but was later pushed to September 11.

KARACHI:
Pakistani film Swaarangi which was all set to release on September 11 has been banned by Pakistan's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

“A panel decided that the film can't be screened in its present form for public viewing,” Chariman CBFC, Mobashir Hasan told The Express Tribune.

Based on real life events, Swaaraangi has been directed by Fida Hussain and shot in distant locations near Kalabagh, Punjab. The storyline highlights the plight of drug addicts in Pakistan.

Read: Hiatus due to below-par films: Resham

While the CBFC chairman did not go into details, rumour has it that the Resham-starrer has been banned for representing an 'inappropriate' image of Pakistan. However, none of the CBFC officials could confirm this.


The decision was made by a panel of the CBFC and later a full-board meeting was called to reconsider the decision in the presence of an extended 11-member panel.

All cinemas in the Islamabad Capital Territory and cantonments around the country fall within the CBFC's ambit. Cinemas in other parts of Pakistan will receive certification orders from their respective provincial censor boards.

Read: Swaarangi delayed to September 11

Besides Resham, the film stars Ayub Khosa, Naveed Akbar, Waseem Manzoor, Hamza Mushtaq and Shahzaib Johar.

It was initially slated to release on August 28, but was later pushed to September 11.

"With a limited number of screens in the country, and the high number of local releases, it would have been very difficult to accommodate Swaarangi in theaters on its initial release date," a press release issued earlier had stated.