- its release has been put on hold due to “objectionable content”
- The film also ran into trouble in Vietnam
LAHORE:Barbie, a Hollywood movie that has generated a lot of buzz, has faced a setback in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where its release has been put on hold due to “objectionable content”.
The film will have to undergo a screening by the provincial censor boards, which have the authority to cut or ban scenes that go against the country’s social, cultural and religious norms.
“The film will be reviewed before it is allowed to be shown in the country,” said Farrukh Mahmood, the secretary of the Punjab film censor board. He did not specify what kind of content was deemed objectionable.
The delay in Punjab follows similar decisions by some Middle Eastern countries, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, which have also postponed the release of Barbie.
The film also ran into trouble in Vietnam, where it was banned earlier this month over a scene that showed a map supporting China’s controversial claim over the South China Sea. The film was scheduled to hit the screens in Vietnam on 21 July.
