The campaigns on social media against the government’s decision to ban the critically-acclaimed film Joyland have resulted in the decision being overturned. This is positive news, particularly because the film was being targeted through a concerted attack by groups that claimed that the film was against Islamic norms. This false notion has already been addressed in a previous editorial, but the reversal of the ban does not mean that the problem of criticising art under the guise of social or religious norms has been countered effectively. Even now, there are troubling unverified reports that the Punjab government is going ahead with the ban even after the film was cleared by the board. This indicates how deep the problem goes.
Joyland has thankfully not joined the long list of films that were made for Pakistan by Pakistanis and yet not screened here because of some controversy over decency and norms—which is almost always purported and not based on any fact. The problem here is that this is not the last time something like this will happen. The culture of finding fault in films and believing that the censor board or the authorities have not gone far enough in their censorship efforts must be eradicated. Art pieces such as Joyland often address issues that are present in society but lie ignored because of the taboo around them. Srt can be the bridge that allows us to overcome these barriers.
This is not to say that there should be no control on the content—but this is exactly why we have censor boards in place. There must be a reformation of these to include knowledgeable and critical voices from all sides of the spectrum. This means that any review body for cultural content must include artists themselves that understand the true meaning of the content, and religious scholars that do not base their opinion on hearsay—or as in the case of JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, a means to gain relevance and political support. It is hoped that Pakistani artists are supported in the future and not stifled and repressed at home, while the rest of the world recognises their brilliance.