'Barbie' Neither Banned Nor Playing in Punjab Cinemas

In a perplexing turn of events, conflicting reports surrounding the highly anticipated Barbie film have caused confusion among moviegoers in Punjab. Earlier claims of a ban by the Punjab Film Censor Board have been debunked, indicating that the film is neither banned nor playing in cinemas across the region.

The initial buzz began with a tweet alleging that the Punjab Film Censor Board had withheld the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the movie, citing "objectionable" content, including pro-LGBTQ themes. This tweet gained considerable attention on social media, leading many to believe that the film had faced a ban.

A cursory Google search also revealed that major Lahore cinemas were not screening Barbie, further adding to the speculations. Meanwhile, other films, including Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, were being shown in these theaters, prompting confusion and frustration among moviegoers who were eager to watch the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-starrer.

However, The Express Tribune, determined to clarify the situation, reached out to Vasay Chaudhary, the vice-chairman of the Punjab Film Censor Board, but received no response at the time of reporting. The Tribune's sources revealed that Barbie is not, in fact, "banned" in Punjab, and the Punjab Film Censor Board had issued an NOC for the movie.

According to source, the board requested that four specific words be censored or removed from the film before it could be publicly screened. This requirement, however, seemed to have caused a disagreement with HKC Entertainment, the local distributors of Barbie in Pakistan. Despite attempts to reach out, the local representative of HKC Entertainment remained unresponsive, and the company CEO, Hammad Chaudhry, was also unreachable.

Amidst this confusion, it has been clarified that Barbie is successfully running in Sindh and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), assuaging concerns for fans in those regions.

The saga of Barbie's screening in Punjab highlights the importance of accurate information dissemination, especially in the age of social media where rumors can spread rapidly. As the situation unfolds, movie enthusiasts in Punjab eagerly await further updates to enjoy the film they have been eagerly anticipating.