Indian actor Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man, a film highlighting awareness on menstrual hygiene, has not yet been released in Pakistan. But a senior official says it has not been denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for import into Pakistan.
Pad Man tells the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham and his journey to make affordable sanitary napkins. A section of the media have said that it has been banned in Pakistan due to its sensitive subject.
But Pakistan Censor Board chief Mobashir Hasan says the decision on NOC was yet to be taken as the film had not yet been “previewed by the Central Board of Film Censors”.
A statement, posted on Hasan’s Twitter account, read: “The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film Pad Man as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the ... Censors.”
A Pakistani media report said Pakistani film importers have come under attack over the Akshay Kumar-featuring movie.
Hasan then said: “The decision to grant NOC to the subject film will be based on the merit and criteria of the censors, not vexatious, false and irresponsible political motives being created on various media platforms on the back of the film.
“It is advisable to maintain principles of integrity whilst making statements on any issues... Good values are the foundation upon which we will build a prosperous Pakistan, not upon a decision of releasing a solitary film,” he added.
Directed by R. Balki, Pad Man released in the UAE on Thursday.
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