Actors speak out against a third review of Zindagi Tamasha
The film was scheduled for release this Friday
Photo: Official poster
The recent decision by censor boards in Punjab and Sindh against releasing Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha has upset several actors, writers and human rights activists.
Ehd-e-Wafa actor Osman Khalid Butt shared what he felt about the situation on social media on Tuesday evening. He wondered if the far-right religious parties were as concerned about child abuse in the country as they were about their egos.
I wonder whether far-right religious parties are as concerned about the rampant child abuse & murder in our country as they are about protecting their egos.
Isn’t that the reason they should be out protesting in the streets, or putting pressure on the government?— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) January 21, 2020
He added “clearly they get things done faster than anyone in Pakistan” referring to the Sindh censor board banning the film until further notice.
Filmmaker and actor Meher Bano took to Instagram to say that while it might look like she’s smiling on the outside, her heart was breaking over the decision to re-examine Khoosat’s film which had been cleared by censor boards twice.
Author of The Collaborator, Mirza Waheed, also shared his views on the situation and said that after two viewings, the film won’t magically change for the third one.
Twitter says censors in Pakistan are about to watch a film they’ve already cleared for the third time.
Bhai logo, films don’t magically change between 1st, 2nd and 3rd viewings.Let people watch #ZindagiTamasha
— Mirza Waheed (@MirzaWaheed) January 21, 2020
On Tuesday, a statement issued by the Sindh Board of Censors claimed that while Zindagi Tamasha had been cleared, they were informed that if the film was released it would cause “unrest” within some segments of society and “may deteriorate and be detrimental to the peaceful circumstances in the country”.
In order to avoid such a situation, the board decided not to release the film till further notice.
Similarly, in Punjab, the censor board said that the film would not be released on the scheduled date. A notification from the board claimed that the film will be reviewed again due to “persistent complaints received from different quarters” on February 3. It is believed that TLP’s general secretary will represent the party at the screening.
