Pakistan puts release of 'Zindagi Tamasha' on hold over its 'blasphemous' content
The posters of 'Zindagi Tamasha'
Pakistan has suspended the release of a film titled 'Zindagi Tamasha' after an Islamist political party raised objection to the film. The party has raised concerns over the portrayal of a struggling cleric.
The officials of the party also feel that the film may deviate people "from Islam and the prophet".
'Zindagi Tamasha' is about a man shunned by society after a video of him dancing at a wedding goes viral. The film has been directed by renowned Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat who has stated that he never intended to offend anyone.
Earlier Khoosat had stated that he and his team were subjected to bullying and threats.
The controversy over the film has once again highlighted the deep divisions in Pakistani society where certain religious groups have become more vocal in the recent past.
A spokesperson for the political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) was quoted in local media as saying the film's content was "blasphemous".
"The characterisation of the naat-reader in the film is such that it can cause discomfort to the public and might lead them to deviate from Islam and Prophet (Muhammad)," the group said in a statement.
Interestingly, 'Zindagi Tamasha' had its world premiere at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival in 2019 and it even won the top fiction prize there.
The film was scheduled to commercially release in Pakistan on 24 January.
The film was cleared by country's main censor board as well as a provincial board but owing to the uproar, the film is now on hold.
The director even published an open letter to the prime minister of the country, saying he was being inundated with complaints and threatening calls and was considering not releasing the film.
TLP then called for mass rallies across the country to protest at the planned release of the film.
On Tuesday, Firdous Ashiq Awan, an adviser to the prime minister on Information and Broadcasting, took to Twitter to announce that the film's producer of the film had been told to delay the release until the censor board consulted with the Islamic Ideological Council. The Council is an advisory body which is said to be an influential body.
Soon after the tweet was posted, TLP called-off the mass protests.
