government has banned the film that will be its Oscars contender after pressure from hardline Islamic groups who called its depiction of a love affair between a man and a trans woman “repugnant” and “highly objectionable”.
The film had garnered glowing praise on the festival circuit for its tender and critical depiction of Pakistan’s patriarchal society. It was the first Pakistani feature to be an official selection at the Cannes film festival, where it was awarded the prestigious jury prize. Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, from the Islamic movement Jamaat-e-Islam, had accused the film of promoting homosexuality, which remains illegal in Pakistan, and being “against Pakistani values”.
“This sudden u-turn by the Pakistan ministry of information and broadcasting is absolutely unconstitutional and illegal,” said Sadiq, accusing the ministry of caving to “pressure from a few extremist factions”.