List of films banned in Pakistan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pakistan started banning films in 1962, with restrictions tightened in 1979 when

in place since 1965 but was not always strictly enforced) was lifted in 2008, with the compromise that cinemas in Pakistan must equally share screening time between Indian and Pakistani films, but was later enforced again in late 2016.[2][3]

2006

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2006 The Da Vinci Code United States Hollywood Banned due to protest by the Christian community in Pakistan.[4]

2010

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2010 Lahore India
Bollywood
Banned as the censor board objected to some dialogues and scenes in the film.[5]
2010 Tere Bin Laden India
Bollywood
Banned for fear that the title could be misconstrued by Islamist extremists as a reason to attack.[6][7]

2011

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2011 Slackistan United Kingdom Independent Director refused to make cuts requested by the Central Board of Film Censors.
2011 The Dirty Picture India
Bollywood
Banned by authorities.[8] However, it was later cleared for release only a week after the Indian premiere.[9]
2011 Delhi Belly India
Bollywood
Not allowed to be screened by the censor board.[10]

2012

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2012 Ek Tha Tiger India
Bollywood
It was not released in Pakistan, due to concerns over the portrayal of Pakistan in the film.[11][12]
2012 Khiladi 786 India
Bollywood
Renamed as Khiladi for release[13] but promos and ads of the film were banned in Pakistan.[14]
2012 Agent Vinod India
Bollywood
For controversial references to the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency.[15]

2013

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2013 Bhaag Milkha Bhaag India
Bollywood
Banned because it depicts Pakistan Sports Authorities using unfair means. It depicts the country in a wrong way.[16]
2013 Raanjhanaa India
Bollywood
Banned because the film portrays an image of a Muslim girl (played by Sonam Kapoor) falling in love with a Hindu boy and having an affair with him.[17]
2013 G.I. Joe: Retaliation United States Hollywood Banned due to the film's depiction of Pakistan as an unstable state and the fictional portrayal of a "foreign invasion of Pakistan’s nuclear installations".[18]

2014

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2014 Children of War India
Bollywood
Banned for its portrayal of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War contrary to Pakistan's view.[19]
2014 Haider India
Bollywood
Banned as it depicts the Kashmir insurgency, a sensitive issue in the country.[20]
2014 Noah United States Hollywood Banned due to the portrayal of Noah by an actor.[21]

2015

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2015 Calendar Girls India
Bollywood
Banned by Pakistan due to objections to one of the dialogues in the film.[22][23]
2015 Phantom India
Bollywood
Demanded to be banned by
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to be dismissed due to its uselessness and the government doesn't want to be involved unnecessarily because no one in Pakistan asked for NOC to screen the film.[27][28] LHC judge Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan asked the government what it could do to stop the movie CDs from being sold in the market after the ban.[29]
2015 Baby India
Bollywood
A
Bollywood film based on Terrorism was banned in Pakistan.[30]
2015 Bangistan India
Bollywood
A film about two suicide bombers banned by Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors.[31]

2016

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2016 Dishoom India
Bollywood
Banned because the movie talks about an Indian cricketer getting kidnapped before an India and Pakistan match and that caused the country to think it is against Pakistan.[32]
2016 Udta Punjab India
Bollywood
Banned due to use of abusive language.[33]
2016 Shivaay India
Bollywood
Banned because of India-Pakistan border conflict.[34]
2016 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil India
Bollywood
Banned because of India-Pakistan border conflict.[35][36]
2016 Neerja India
Bollywood
Banned for allegedly showing the country in a bad light, a fact denied by Sonam Kapoor, who portrays slain flight attendant Neerja Bhanot in the film.[37]
2016 Ambarsariya India
Pollywood
Banned due to direct references to Indian intelligence agency RAW inside the movie.[38]

2017

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2017 Viceroy's House United Kingdom British Banned for allegedly misrepresenting
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
(Founder Of Pakistan).
2017 Tubelight India
Bollywood
Banned to prevent hampering the release of local films[39]
2017 Tiger Zinda Hai India
Bollywood
The film was not given a No Objection Certificate by the Central Board of Film Censors in Pakistan, stating the reason as "The image of Pakistan and its law enforcement agencies" has been compromised.[40][41]
2017 Dangal India
Bollywood
Banned when actor-producer
Indian National Anthem.[42]
2017 Naam Shabana India
Bollywood
Banned because it portrays Pakistan in "bad taste".[43]
2017 Jolly LLB 2 India
Bollywood
Banned because the film makes references to the Kashmir issue.[44]
2017 Raees India
Bollywood
Banned due to its "objectionable" content, as "the content undermines Islam, and a specific religious sect, (It also) portrays some Muslims as criminals, wanted persons, and terrorists".[45]

2018

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2018 Pad Man India
Bollywood
The Central Board of Film Censors, Pakistan, refused to give a No Objection Certificate to the film and said, "we cannot allow a film whose name, subject, and story are not acceptable yet in our society." They disallowed the Pakistani film distributors IMGC and HKC to purchase the film rights and stated that they were "ruining Islamic traditions, history, and culture."[46][47][48]
2018 Pari India
Bollywood
Promotes black magic.
2018 Raazi India
Bollywood
Showed an intelligence agent who spied on Pakistan for India.
2018 Gold India
Bollywood
For fears regarding the depiction of the 1947 partition.[49]
2018 Veere Di Wedding India
Bollywood
For depicting obscenity and vulgar dialogues by female characters.
2018 Mulk India
Bollywood
The movie shows an Indian Muslim family accused of treason and ties with the Pakistanis.[50]
2018 Aiyaary India
Bollywood
Banned for portraying Pakistan in a negative light.[51]
2018 Race 3 India
Bollywood
Ban imposed so that four big banner Pakistani films and other smaller regional language releases on Eid do good business without competition from Bollywood movies.[52]
2018 Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran India
Bollywood
Banned for references to Pakistan's nuclear tests and establishments.

2019-present

Since February 2019, Pakistan has banned the screening of all Indian films amid

Date Movie Name Country Film Industry The Reason Banned
2022 I'll Meet You There United States Hollywood For "negatively depicting" Muslim and Pakistani culture.[54]
2022 The Lady of Heaven United Kingdom British For negatively depicting important Muslim figures and portraying historical inaccuracies.[55][56]

References

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