Saif won’t be surprised if Phantom is banned in Pakistan

Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan recently said it won't be surprising if his forthcoming film ‘Phantom’, which touches upon Mumbai's 26/11 attacks, is banned in Pakistan. His comment comes in reaction to 26/11 mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's petition in a Lahore court, demanding a ban on the release of filmmaker Kabir Khan's political thriller in Pakistan.

The ‘Phantom’ team organised a press conference in Mumbai to address the issue. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, I always thought that this film will be banned in Pakistan as there are certain topics which Pakistan bans without watching the film or without any review,” Saif, whose 2012 film ‘Agent Vinod’ was banned in the country too, said at the presser.

“We too have made films which have been passed in Pakistan. But those kinds of films are different. When there are films like this (Phantom), which have a realistic base, it’s no surprise for me if this film is banned in Pakistan,” the 44-year-old added. ‘Phantom’, which is slated to release on August 28, is based on author Hussain Zaidi's book ‘Mumbai Avengers’ having the post 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and global terrorism in its background.