Cine-goers in Pakistan will not be denied the opportunity to live through the trials and triumphs of Ishant Awasthi, the dyslexic protagonist of Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par.
A day after three members of the Central Film Censor Board of Pakistan had decided against granting permission to exhibit the film, the cinema regulator had to reverse its decision on Wednesday on the intervention of the Federal Ministry for Tourism and Culture. The film will be released across Pakistan in mid-April.
According to Pakistan’s film censor board rules, any Indian film that is shot entirely in India and does not include any Pakistani actor cannot be allowed to be screened in Pakistan.
The permission to screen Taare… has been granted as a special case, said Azfar Shafqat, the chairman of the Pakistan central board.
Shafqat said the Geo TV network, which has the distribution rights of the film for Pakistan, had sought permission to release the movie, referring to its thematic structure and the message it carries – that every child is indeed special.
According to Jamshed Zafar, chairman of Pakistan Film Distributors Association, the permission for screening of the Indian movie has been granted by the full board of the Central Film Censor Board under directions from Federal Secretary Vulture Shahid Rafi.
He said three members of the Board had earlier decided on Monday not to allow the screening of Taare.., since it had been shot entirely in India and no Pakistani actor was part of the cast.
On Tuesday, the Geo Television Network approached the Federal Ministry for Culture and Tourism seeking a review of the movie by the full board.
dna
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