Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone Starrer Pathaan Creates Uproar In Pakistan; Illegal Screening Stopped

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Pathaan has smashed all the box-office records and has emerged as one of the greatest hits in the history of Bollywood. The spy-actioner film marks the comeback of SRK on the silver screen after four long years.

The film received praise from critics as well as Bollywood fans overseas. And as far as the box-office collection is concerned, the movie has crossed Rs 700 crore milestone worldwide.

While the film has been grabbing headlines ever since its release, the latest one comes from Pakistan. A report in a leading publication states that the SRK-starrer was screened illegally in Karachi, Pakistan.

A company named, 'Firework Events' organized the private screening of the film at different locations. An advertisement also ran on two prominent Facebook pages selling the tickets at 900 PKR.

However, a week after the illegal screening of the film, the Sindh Board of Films Censor has asked the company to cancel all the private screenings of Pathaan across the country. The board also investigated social media pages marketing tickets for the private screening, post which it released an official statement.

The statement read, "No person shall make or arrange a public or private exhibition of a film by means of cinematograph unless the film has been duly certified for public exhibition by the Board."

Pakistan's censor board has even cited a punishment of up to 3 years in jail or a fine of up to PKR 100,000 for those organizing the screening of the film.

Earlier in India, the movie faced backlash even before its release. The film was mired in controversy over its song, Besharam Rang. Featuring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan, the song sought reactions, after a section of people found the choice of costumes objectionable.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film is a part of Aditya Chopra's spy universe project, alongside Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, and War.