Paanch Pandav clears hurdles, to run from Friday

Kathmandu, November 5 The film ‘Panch Pandav’, on the eve of its release, received a major jolt on Wednesday evening. Bookings had already opened. Everything was set for a grand release on Friday, and all preparations, from promotion onwards, were complete. In the evening, the film’s production team suddenly received a call from the Ministry of Communication, where they were asked to stop the booking for the film for now.

They were summoned to the ministry to collect the letter on the halt to the film’s screening. The notice came with the claim that it was a “direct order” from the Home Ministry. It threw the production team into turmoil. The Central Film Examination Committee had given the film a Universal certificate only that afternoon, saying permission had been granted for screening.

News spread everywhere that Friday’s bookings would have to be cancelled after sudden government interference in a film already cleared by the Censor Board. Filmmakers began asking why the screening had to be stopped by overturning the Censor Board’s decision.