Pakistan Censor Board’s decision to ban ‘Begum Jaan’ leaves Mahesh Bhatt upset

Vidya Balan-starrer ‘Begum Jaan‘ is the latest movie to face a ban from the Pakistan Censor Board. Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ and Akshay Kumar and Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Naam Shabana’ were rejected by the Censor Board, while Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ backed out due to Censor Board’s diktat of not allowing to play the National Anthem during screenings in Pakistan. (Also Read: ‘Begum Jaan’: 5 reasons why you shouldn’t miss this Vidya Balan-starrer)

Now, the news of ‘Begum Jaan’ receiving rejection from the Censor Board has left Mahesh Bhatt upset. Speaking to Mid-Day, Mahesh Bhatt who is the producer of the film said, “I was told by my distributor that Pakistan, as a policy, does not permit the import of films dealing with the issue of Partition. I requested the key officer of the Pakistan censor board to at least view the film and then take a decision. I was assured they would look into the matter. Sadly, I have not heard from them since. My distributor informs me that his office has been intimated that ‘Begum Jaan’ won’t be imported into Pakistan.”

He further added, “I did not look at Pakistan just as a market to sell my wares. Yes, when ‘Begum Jaan’ was not viewed by their Censor Board, I was ridiculed by some of my close associates. That did hurt.”

The director of the movie Srijit Mukherjee said, “It is the rule of someone’s land, which must be respected. Unfortunately, the common thread binding these two nations is the history and Partition is the integral tragedy connecting us. All the hatred can be traced back to it. Understanding and analysing it from a human view would help but it’s a pity they don’t want to. They are touchy and sensitive about this issue.”

‘Begum Jaan’ stars Vidya Balan in the main role and will be releasing on April 14, 2017.

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.