What does it mean to have a non-release of your film at a particular place? Ask Raees filmmaker Rahul Dholakia. Earlier today, Rahul took to X to share an emotional note reminiscing about the ban on the film, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira Khan, in Pakistan. Reportedly, the Government of Pakistan prevented its release in the country allegedly because of its portrayal of Muslim characters. Rahul drew people's attention to the film's ban in the country despite the presence of Mahira Khan, an actor from Pakistan. He also highlighted the ban on the Sanjay Dutt-Bipasha Basu starrer Lamhaa in the Middle East because of its Kashmir-related content. Another film, Rahul said, that was forcibly not released in the State of Gujarat is Parzania. The 2005 film did not release there reportedly due to distributors' fear of backlash from the right-wing group against the film's take on the Gujarat riots.
Rahul Dholakia argued that when such fates happen to films, distributors and producers have to face the losses even as audiences watch them on whatever medium they are available in. The Raees director ended his note expressing his desire to watch Anurag Kashyap's Kennedy and Honey Trehan's Panjab '95.
While Kennedy has had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and it has been available on Letterboxd's latest video store over the last few days, audiences from India cannot access it on the streamer. The Anurag Kashyap directorial continues to face a delay in its India release reportedly due to financial constraints with ZEE Studios, the changing priorities of the streaming market and so forth. On the other hand, Panjab '95, starring Diljit Dosanjh, has not yet hit theatres in India reportedly because of its makers' reluctance to accept the exorbitant number of cuts suggested by the Censor Board, among other factors. The Diljit Dosanjh starrer is inspired by Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist from Punjab.
