Movies glamourising criminals to be banned, NA told | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Movies glamourising criminals to be banned, NA told

ISLAMABAD: The government has banned the portrayal of wicked characters as heroes in motion pictures and refused permission to release four new movies of this nature.

“The central censor board has been ordered to decline permission to films that glorify villainous characters,” Culture Minister Dr G G Jamali told the National Assembly during the question hour on Thursday.

He said that since “Maula Jatt”, made in the eighties, became a big hit and did a roaring business, a trend developed among moviemakers to go for such pictures.

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain said many films were being made to depict people as supermen who were being shown using Kalashnikovs, repeaters, sten-guns and other weapons mercilessly. “What kind of education are we imparting to our youth?” he asked.

He said violence and bloodshed exhibited in such movies are brainwashing young men. “You should try to discourage this trend.”

Dr Jamal said the number of cinemas, which was 1,000 during seventies, has now come down to 210 because of the crisis that has hit the film industry.

He said a committee of film people has recommended that there is a need for changes in the censor board. It has pointed out that the society also did not like vulgarity.

The minister said since movies are made by the private sector, the government couldn’t direct it to go for a particular set of films. However, he said, movies generally depict society.
Source: The News
Date:2/23/2007