KARACHI – The release of the Indian movie Raees which was scheduled to hit Pakistani cinemas on Sunday, has been cancelled and is most likely to be banned given its inappropriate portrayal of Muslims, sources close to the censor board told Daily Pakistan on Saturday.
The movie which also became the centre of controversy in India after relations deteriorated between the two countries in late 2016, has reportedly run into trouble with the Pakistani censor board for depicting Shah Rukh Khan as a Muslim gangster involved in crimes and immoral activities.
Sources told Daily Pakistan that a committee constituting board members will be formed to review the movie’s content and the decision on its release in the country will be taken accordingly.
Sources added that the representatives of security agencies in censor board were also part of the decision to ban the film.
The movie is apparently demonising and defaming Muslims for showing them as goons and notorious underworld figures, sources added.
Interestingly, while the film faced severe public outrage from certain sections within India for allegedly favouring Pakistan and Muslims, the movie now will be reportedly banned in Pakistan for the completely opposite reason.
The film is also said to be based on the life of an underworld figure Abdul Latif. In April 2016, Latif’s son filed a lawsuit for defamation against the makers of the film, saying the film misrepresented his father. Shaikh’s lawyer said that the 97 cases lodged against Latif were for bootlegging and other serious offences under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, but he did not run a brothel or use women for delivery in his bootlegging operations, as depicted in the film.
