Jan. 27: The censor board in Pakistan has barred the release of Slackistan, London-based Hammad Khan’s independent film about westernised twenty-somethings in Islamabad, media reports said.
The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) has demanded that all references in the film to the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden and “Islamic beards” and related religious attire be edited.
The censors have also objected to the term ‘lesbian’ in a scene apart, from all instances of bad language in English and Urdu uttered by the movie’s characters, The News reported
The characters’ holding and sharing alcoholic drinks in the film — which would suggest alcohol being enjoyed — also have been objected to. The CBFC has also stated that the film would still receive a restrictive adults rating —18+ — despite the cuts, The News reported.
Mr Khan described the censor board’s verdict is oppressive, arbitrary and steeped in denial about life outside their offices. “Maybe the establishment’s view is that young Pakistanis saying words like Taliban and lesbian pose a more potent threat than the bullets and bombs that are finding increasing legitimacy in the country every day,” he told the newspaper.
Slackistan has had successful screenings at festivals in London, Abu Dhabi, New York, San Francisco and Goa. Mara Pictures had released the film in the UK and are handling its Pakistan release.