Farhan Qureshi 
The fate of cross-border cinema is still brought to the limelight through Indian movies banned in Pakistan, and the effect of politics, culture, and censorship. Some releases by Bollywood have been restricted or even banned in Pakistan and some of the Gulf countries over the years because of politically sensitive content, military themes, or cultural reasons. The decisions usually influence the performance in overseas box offices, even though the performance in the local market is good. From the war-themed films to the socially oriented movies, the banned Indian movies in Pakistan provide insights into how filmmakers meet the challenge of communicating on complicated regional issues and, at the same time, capture the global interest.
Cinema, Censorship and Regional Sensitivities
The increasing list of Indian movies that are prohibited in Pakistan contains themes such as Dhurandhar, Border 2, and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, as they are rated as geopolitical/historical. Equally, films like Padman with a socially driven message were prohibited because of their contradiction of the local cultural norms. There were also common sensitivities with a ban on Indian films in several Gulf countries, which also failed to be certified in Pakistan or the adjacent countries. Indian movies banned in Pakistan have been doing well elsewhere despite the bans, which can be attributed to their popularity around the world. On the whole, Indian movies that are prohibited in Pakistan reveal the fact that regional censorship still shapes the international process of developing Indian cinema.
