Pakistan Bans Bollywood Female Comedy

The country’s censor board has banned ‘Veere Di Wedding’ over "vulgarity" ahead of the film’s worldwide release on Friday.

Bollywood female comedy Veere Di Wedding will not be released in Pakistan on Friday as part of the film’s worldwide release.

A source at the country’s censor board told Pakistan’s The Dawn newspaper that after watching the movie, the board “decided that it is not fit for screening in Pakistan." The source added: "The main issues are vulgarity and language and also [its] theme.”

Veere Di Wedding features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania, who play a group of close friends in the capital Delhi, and chronicles the comic twists and turns they take when tackling marriages and relationships. The film’s trailer included some dialogue, which featured Hindi swear words.

Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, Veere Di Wedding was co-produced by actor Anil Kapoor’s banner AKFC and Balaji Motion Pictures.

Back in February, Pakistan had banned the Bollywood drama PadMan, co-produced by Sony Pictures India, which was inspired by the life of a social activist who introduced low-cost sanitary pads.

India has also seen its fair share of controversy over films with strong female protagonists and tackling unconventional storylines. Last year, the feminist drama Lipstick Under My Burkha had to legally challenge India’s censor board, which had initially banned the pic until it was cleared for release with some minor cuts.