In a surprising first, the Sindh Censor Board has spoken against the running of a film not for objectionable content, but for its poor production quality. The film in question is Swaarangi, and its release has already been a contentious matter.

Fakhre Alam, Chairman of Sindh Censor Board, spoke on behalf of the whole board on his official Twitter account that Swaarangi shouldn't be released because it's poorly made. He added that the board has the interests of Pakistan's cinema revival in mind, and Swaarangi's inadequate production may deter future investment in Pakistani cinema.

Although the board has requested the distributors to voluntarily withdraw the application, Alam also said that the board will issue a U-certificate to the film if they do not do so.

As of now, Swaarangi has been banned by the Central Board of Film Certification, which bars its screening in Islamabad and cantonments across the country, but has got the green light in Punjab.

The decision of Swaarangi's release in Sindh now rests with its distributor.

The film, which marks the comeback of Resham and stars veteran Ayub Khosa, delves into a real-life story of a drug addict and his family in rural Punjab. It is the director Phida Hussain's first feature film and boasts a soundtrack by Sahir Ali Bagga.

The film is slated to be released on September 11.