Punjab officials finally gave Barbie the go-ahead to screen in the province on Tuesday, after a long and contentious battle. When asked if the Hollywood movie Barbie would be approved for release in Punjab, Information Minister Aamir Mir said, “The entire film censor board of Punjab has cleared the film for screening.”
The complete censor board was supposed to convene on Tuesday to reconsider the film’s content and vote on whether or not to allow it to be shown in Punjab. The decision was made after screenings of the Greta Gerwig-directed film were temporarily halted due to “objectionable content.”
After all this time, Mir finally broke the news: “Barbie was previously banned in Punjab due to objectionable content.” The Barbie scandal forced the Punjabi government to reexamine the toy’s substance. “The film board has given the film the green light for public screening after censoring objectionable parts,” Mir added.
Mir, who wrote the original version of this sentence, stated that “The Punjab government had decided to send the film to the censor board for reevaluation.” Chairman Touqeer Nasir led the reevaluation, which included all 12 members of the Punjab Censor Board. Mir echoed this sentiment, noting that all 12 members of the Punjab censor board, including Nasir, were present during the film’s review.
The entire board reevaluated the Margot Robbie vehicle that references Mattel’s legendary doll. The goal of the reassessment was to make sure the picture satisfied the censorship standards established by the Punjabi government and to cut out any offensive scenes. Mir said, “Barbie can be released after offensive material is removed.”
Now that the film has been granted the go-ahead, moviegoers in Punjab will finally be able to see the international smash blockbuster that has been raking in millions around the world. Robbie plays a version of Barbie who becomes obsessed with her own mortality throughout the course of the film. She takes Ken out into the world, where he learns about patriarchy, and then brings those lessons back to the matriarchal Barbieland. The story follows different characters as they embark on unlearning excursions and ultimately gain invaluable life lessons.
