Actor and director Shamoon Abbasi finds it perplexing that his directorial venture, titled Durj, originally scheduled to hit cinemas on October 18 in Pakistan has been banned by the Pakistani censor board.
Recently, Abbasi took to social media to announce the news. “The censor board has some sort of objection and has halted the release in Pakistan for now. We are requesting the authorities for another review, and if they find anything unsuitable, we can remove it as per their request,” he wrote on his official Facebook handle.
“Banning the film completely seems like a personal vendetta against Durj. The world censor boards has given 14 a certification to Durj, which explains that the film is viewable for kids above 13 years, then how come it is unsuitable for viewing in Pakistan, where every kind of masala movies with below the belt jokes are welcomed every year,” the actor-director stated in another Facebook post.
Talking to Instep Shamoon Abbasi shared that this is indeed a perplexing situation. “Even though the Punjab and Sindh censor boards cleared it just a few days back, it is strange how it was suddenly revoked. The certificates were issued and taken back forcefully. In fact, now people are going to cinemas and threatening the owners to take down trailers and posters. The trailers were being shown in cinemas around the country and in just one day it all went downhill,” he revealed, adding that he is unable to understand why Durj has been banned arbitrarily.
According to Abbasi, the censor board has cited that the film is on a subject that is not a part of our tradition or culture. “Since the beginning I have been claiming that it is a true story and that I gained inspiration for Durj from two cannibal brothers in Punjab,” he continued. “The film is not even gory or bloody and the Sindh censor board cleared it without deleting any scenes, while only two scenes were muted by the Punjab censor board according to the distribution company.”
However, the suspense thriller, which made it to the 72nd edition of Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, is scheduled to release globally in select countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada on October 11, while it will release in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain on October 10, 2019.
