Senate panel gives go-ahead to Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindgi Tamasha film

The Senate Committee for Human Rights on Tuesday approved the much-awaited release of Sarmad Khoosat’s film “Zindagi Tamasha”.

Taking to Twitter, PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said: “Found nothing wrong” with the film, He added that the censor board has received the permission to release it post-Covid.

“Senate HR committee has unanimously agreed with the censor board’s decision to allow the screening of film Zindagi Tamasha,” wrote Khokhar.

“The censor board has our go-ahead to release it post Covid. Detailed reasoning to follow later,” he assured.

Senate HR committee has unanimously agreed with Censor board’s decision to allow screening of movie “zindagi tamasha”. We’ve found nothing wrong with it. Censor board has our go ahead to release post Covid. Detail reasoning to follow later.

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) July 14, 2020

On January 21, the federal government issued directives to postpone the release of the film.

In a statement, PM’s aide of on information Firdous Ashiq Awan said the producers had been directed to postpone the film, adding that the government would immediately approach the Council of Islamic Ideology for its views over the film.

Zindagi Tamasha (Circus of Life) is about a man shunned after a video of him dancing at a wedding goes viral.

The film's director said he never intended to offend anyone.

Before the suspension, renowned Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat, who made the film, had said he, his family and team had been subjected to bullying and threats.

"Don't spew hate, fear and anger in the name of religion."

A spokesperson for the political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) was quoted in local media as saying the film's content was "blasphemous".

Zindagi Tamasha had its world premiere at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival last year, where it was awarded the top fiction prize.

It was to hit Pakistan's screens on 24 January, and ahead of that date a trailer for the film was released showing a bearded man who recites naats.

But despite being cleared by the country's main censor board as well as provincial boards, the film is now on hold.

Khoosat also published an open letter to the prime minister, saying he was being inundated with complaints and threatening calls and was considering not releasing the film.