Pakistani Celebrities Speak Up Against The Ban On 'PadMan' In Pakistan

Bollywood movie  PadMan is reportedly banned in Pakistan. According to members of the censor board, films on "taboo" subjects such as menstruation should not be allowed to screen in the country. 

This has angered some local celebrities, who insist such movies are important to create awareness. Pakistani starlets  Armeena Khan and Sanam Saeed have taken it to social media in support of   PadMan releasing in Pakistan.

“Periods. What’s the big deal people?,” asked the Binroye star.

Periods. What’s the big deal people? ?The entire female population gets them including mother, sisters and daughters. They are as natural as the changing of the seasons. Let’s not make a big deal out of it. No need to ban films. They happen. Period.

— Armeena Khan (@ArmeenaRK) February 11, 2018

The tweet read: “The entire female population gets them including mother, sisters and daughters. They are as natural as the changing of the seasons. Let’s not make a big deal out of it. No need to ban films. They happen. Period.”

On the other hand tweeted,

“A man changed the lives of women across India, he made them aware of their unhygienic practices. He found a way to provide them with affordable sanitary napkins. But let’s not share that story because it has something to do with #MenstrualHygiene. Tobah! #padman.”

A man changed the lives of women across India, he made them aware of their unhygienic practices. He found a way to provide them with affordable sanitary napkins. But let’s not share that story because it has something to do with #MenstrualHygiene. Tobah! # padman #menstrualman

— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) February 10, 2018

Moreover, a senior official of the board claims  PadMan has not been denied an NOC for import into Pakistan, stated a press release. Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Mobashir Hasan said the decision regarding the NOC is yet to be made as the film had not been previewed yet.

“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  PadMan, as it has not yet been previewed by the CBFC,” Mobashir tweeted. “The decision to grant the NOC to the subject film will be based on the merit and criteria of the CBFC, not vexatious, false and irresponsible political motives being created on various media platforms on the back of the film.”

PadMan tells the real life story of an Indian man named Arunachalam Muruganantham and how he came to inventing low cost sanitary napkins for women in Indian villages. Directed by R Balki, the film is based on a short story from Twinkle Khanna’s book The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad and released the world over on February 9.