'Ban all Indian movies in Pakistan'

LAHORE: Bollywood movie 'Dostana' has been banned in Pakistan and now the Lahore High Court of Pakistan is hearing a petition which says exhibition of all Indian films be declared unlawful, illegal and against the current Film Rules of Pakistan.

Justice Tariq Shamim of the Lahore High Court (LHC), in a very significant move, on Friday sought comments from the Film Censor Board and the Culture Ministry on a petition challenging the exhibition of Indian films in Pakistan,The Daily Times of Pakistan reported Saturday, November 15, 2008.

The judge also directed a deputy attorney general to appear before the court on November 17 after seeking instructions from the quarters concerned.

The 'Awara' petitioner 

The petitioner, Mehfooz Chaudhry, submitted that he was one of the owners of Ratan Cinema Lahore and his father, Chaudhry Eid Muhammad, had been importing Indian films before the ban on their exhibition in Pakistan, The News of Pakistan reported.

He said “Jhansi Ki Rani”, “Awara, Barsaat”, and “Madari” were the movies which his father imported from India and exhibited in Pakistan before the ban.

He said on December 7, 1965, the government banned exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistan. He said according to Film Sensor Rules 1980, no foreign movie could be exhibited in Pakistan. But the Sensor Board and Cultural Ministry in violation of the rules had been issuing notifications to allow exhibition of specific movies in country to entertain their favourites.

He stated that movies which were exhibited in Pakistan included Goal, Race, Rahguzar, Taray Zameen Par, Bhagam Bhag, Welcome, Bhootnath, Jannat, Kismat Connection, Honey and Money, Love Story-2050, Kidnap and Drona.

He said these movies were produced and directed by Indians and were filmed in India. He said in violation of rules, the Sensor Board and Cultural Ministry allowed their exhibition in Pakistan, which was a discriminatory act.

He prayed that exhibition of Indian Films in Pakistan be declared unlawful, illegal and against the Film Rules 1980 and till a decision on this petition, no Indian movie to be allowed to be exhibited.

Dostana banned!

John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra in 'Dostana' 2008 produced by Karan JoharIn another case, the same Lahore High Court has banned the screening of Bollywood multi-starrer Dostana across Pakistan, saying it has some highly objectionable “gay content”.

A single bench of the high court passed the order on Friday on a writ petition filed by Khuram Khan. The court held that the movie propagates homosexuality, which is not only illegal in Islamic Republic of Pakistan but also considered a crime punishable by whipping, imprisonment, or even death, reported Indian paper DNA.

The petitioner maintained that Dostana promotes gay marriage which is prohibited in Islam and all other religions. Gay marriage is an atrocious and obscene act, more likely to be performed by someone of unsound nature, the petitioner said. Islam says a Muslim should neither commit obscene acts nor indulge in their propagation, he added. “Allah tells us in the Qur’an that He created everything in pairs.”

The petitioner then argued that Karan Johar’s Dostana highlights the gay theme and the Pakistan Film Censor Board should not allow its screening, as being sought by the film’s distributor in Pakistan.

The Lahore high court subsequently directed the chairman of Pakistan Film Censor Board not to allow screening of the film and furnish the transcript of Dostana before the court at the next hearing of the case.

The movie has Priyanka Chopra playing a fashion journalist. She rents out her apartment to Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham after the two convince her that they are gays. Trouble begins when the duo fall for the sexy Priyanka.