The Punjab Censor Board gave the green light to the screening of the popular Hollywood movie ‘Barbie’ to be screened at cinemas across the province.
The ban was limited to Punjab province as the film continues to play in theatres across Islamabad and Sindh province.
The movie’s release in the country’s most-populated province was halted over ‘objectionable content’, even when the Punjab Film Censor Board had issued a no-objection certificate earlier.
Punjab Information Secretary Ali Nawaz Malik said the caretaker government in the province had stopped its screening due to public complaints.
The decision to allow the film’s release was taken after the review meeting of the Punjab Film Censor Board (PFCB) on Tuesday (August 1). “During the film censor board’s meeting, the film Barbie has been allowed to be screened in Punjab,” a Twitter post by the Government of Punjab stated.
‘Barbie’ was not the first film to be banned from screening in Pakistan. In November, ‘Joyland’ — a Cannes prize-winning film and Pakistan’s entry for the 2023 Oscars — was banned for being “clearly repugnant to the norms of decency and morality” of the country.
Barbie movie
Barbie is a fantasy-comedy film, starring Margot Robbie as the famous doll and Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend Ken played by Ryan Gosling. The film tells the story of a doll living in Barbieland, who is forced to leave due to her so-called imperfections. This begins her adventure in the real world which comes with its own imperfections. The film’s screening across global cinemas began on July 21, 2023.