After the Censor Board of Federal Certification (CBFC) approval, the screening of the film Joyland has been banned by the Punjab government less than 24 hours after the ban was lifted.
The Punjab Information and Culture Department served a notice to Sarmad Sultan Khoosat yesterday that stated the Joyland team cannot screen the film in the jurisdiction of the province till further notice.
It read that the government may at any stage call for the record of any proceedings about any film that may be pending before or has been decided by the board. After such inquiry into the matter as considered necessary and without notice to the person who has applied for certification of the film, or to whom a certificate in respect of the film has been granted to the distributor or exhibitor of such film, make such order in relation thereto as it thinks fit.
The notice further stated that the government can direct that a film or class of films in respect of which a certificate has been granted under the Motion Pictures Ordinance or the Censorship of Films Act, 1963, (XVIII of 1963), shall be deemed to be an uncertified film.
The film will be screened in cinemas across the country except Punjab.
Earlier, after a review, the committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the full board of the Central Board Film Censor (CBFC) allowed the film ‘Joyland’ to be screened across Pakistan.
The film ‘Joyland’ will be released in theatres across the country on Friday (today) as per its schedule.
The high-level committee and the Film Censor Board during the review removed 7 more scenes from the film and declared the film suitable for screening.
Earlier, after receiving written complaints regarding the film, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had cancelled the certificates issued by the Film Censor Board and banned its screening across the country.
PM Sharif had formed a high-level committee to review the ban on the film following strong reactions from the showbiz industry and social media, which had directed a full-board review of the movie.