Lafangey, one of the most anticipated movies of the year, has recently made headlines after the censor boards “banned” it due to its “objectionable content, vulgar, and double-meaning language”. The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) deemed it “unfit for screening in Pakistani theatres”. “All the current members unanimously determined that the picture was not capable of screening in Pakistani theatres,” CBFC Chairperson Arshad Munir stated.

Yasir Hussain, a well-known writer, actor, and entertainer in Pakistan, expressed his thoughts on this very circumstance yesterday on Instagram. He said that it takes a lot of effort to make a movie and get it ready for the big screen. It requires years of hard work, and it ought to be granted a mature film rating and be made available for viewing. According to him, this is how things operate across the world, and people who want to see it will do just that.

We fully agree with Yasir Hussain’s opinion that this is a waste of the talent and efforts of our industry. People who love movies are outraged by this kind of censoring because recently, many films haven’t been allowed to make it to the big screen. This holds true for both domestic and foreign films. For instance, Dr Strange was initially banned in Pakistan because it had an LGBTQ character. This is just one of many examples. There is concern that there will be more incidents like this, and that theatres would close in Pakistan owing to a lack of audience and films to show.

In other developments, Yasir Hussain and his wife Iqra Aziz have just been named as the beneficiaries of the UAE golden visa. It is reported that between 70 and 80 Pakistanis have been granted this unique visa. In 2020, golden visas were introduced. They make it possible for foreigners to live, work, and study in the UAE without the need for a national sponsor and with full ownership of their company on the country’s mainland.