Joyland, a film directed by Saim Sadiq, has been banned despite receiving full approval from across all censor boards because it contains extremely objectionable content. The filmmaker Saim Sadiq who won the Cannes award for his film “Joyland” posted a heartbroken message on his Instagram account on November 13.
On Saturday, Mushtaq Ahmed, a senator for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, simply tweeted the letter that the Ministry of Information and Broadcast put together to say that a film that had been certified before was now “uncertified.” Now, Saim, the director of Joyland and a Cannes prizewinner, has responded to the ministry’s intervention.
Saim made a lengthy statement on his Instagram page saying, “We-as a team-are saddened by this decision but absolutely intend to speak against such a grave injustice. I am persuaded to state that the Pakistan Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s abrupt U-turn is both illegal and unconstitutional.”
“The eighteenth amendment in the Pakistani constitution grants the authority to all the provinces to render their own decision,” claims Saim, citing the fact that the film was certified by all three censor panels in August 2022. He continued by saying that the Ministry of Broadcast & Information backed down as a result of pressure from a few extremist elements.
Through his statement, Saim Sadiq reminded everyone that Joyland is still legally scheduled to be released in Punjab and Sindh on November 18th. Furthermore, he asked that the Ministry reconsider its earlier judgment and release it for Pakistani people. I urge the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to reconsider its stance and restore the public’s access to the movie that has brought international acclaim to Pakistani cinema.
Joyland’s premieres at the Cannes 2022, Toronto International Film Festival, and American Film Institute Festival earned it widespread acclaim. Originally scheduled for a wide release on November 18, Saim Sadiq’s film starred Alina Khan, Ali Junejo, Sania Saeed, and Sarwat Gilani.