I guess people have forgotten the difference between the meanings of "promotion" and "depiction". For those who really don't know what these words mean: promotion means to encourage, to support something. And depiction means to show something, to make people aware of something by showing it to them.

Now, Joyland, nowhere in its 126 minutes run supports or encourages or "promotes" homosexuality or anything that is anti-Islamic. In fact, this isn't even the only theme of the film. It covers pretty much every aspect of the domestic life of a lower middle-class Pakistani man and a woman (I didn't mention transgender person because those poor things have only one class of lifestyle). It shows every harsh reality of our society. It shows all the plagues our country is being devoured by, those which aren't remotely related to Islam but have become a part of our tradition despite being highly toxic. These are the stigmas that we suffer from in our lives but no one wants to get rid of them because they have been here for so long that they have become normal. And a life without them would be abnormal or even disgraceful and shameful according to our "elders".

The film does show the homosexuality that exists in our country. It doesn't tell whether its good or bad, it just shows it. The only thing that could be a negative point in my opinion would be the graphic scenes. They weren't really that necessary.

In the end, I would say that Joyland is probably the best film that's come out of Pakistani industry in a long time. We need to support such films and accept the existence of all the brutalities of the society they make us aware about. And lastly, try to do something about them.

The prison you call home has let you go, exchanging places with your wife to earn some dough, leaves her trapped and isolated, while you become more animated, and discover what deep down, you've always known; as you fall for dancer Biba who you're supporting, on the stage but after hours you are cavorting, in a world that can be rigid, you find yourself no longer frigid, then you misjudge the whole vibe, with your contorting.

It's a wonderful and brave piece of cinema that breaks boundaries by some measure (and quite rightly so), as Haider falls for the elegant transgender Biba, and his wife Mumtaz pays the penalty for his indiscretions.

Through the course of every year, there are a few movies which I mark as the most anticipated ones. Ever since I first watched the trailer for Joyland, I was intrigued and looking forward to experiencing it. Over the course of time, the film gathered accolades in the festival circuit and was banned in its home country of Pakistan. I finally had the opportunity to watch it last week and I was not disappointed. I do have an issue with the film but that is not regarding its quality . More on that later.

This one is a bold film and the director Saim Safiq must be hailed to have the guts to make this film coming from where he is. The smart thing here is that he does not go about demonizing or critiquing something as sensitive as religion. Rather, he attacks the evil of patriarchy and the devastating effect it can have on a family breaking out from its core till nothing is left. While we mostly have films over here which shows how the women are affected by patriarchy, this film does a wonderful job in portraying that it is equally toxic for the men as it thursts unreal expectation of being a Man right from their birth.

Joyland primarily deals with the joint family headed by the father Rana Amanullah and the family of his two sons - Haider and Salim. Each member of the family has their own dynamic. Everyone tries to fit in but each has their own unrequited wants which they are striving for. Haider is the black sheep of the family who, despite his best efforts, cannot live up to the expectations of his father or of the society. He finally finds his calling after he gets a job as a background dancer at a dance group led by Biba. Biba is a transgender in Pakistan trying to carve a place in the society but is not given a chance. Sparks immediately fly between them when the two misfits meet each other. This relation sets in motion a butterfly effect, the results of which are not pleasant.

The acting is brilliant all across the board and the dialouges and screenplay are both commendable but mature. This film shows a mirror to the audience about the everyday casual wrong-doings happening all around us. We can either turn a blind eye to it or address it .The choice is ours as the audience. No one here is a villain, but just trying to live their life as per the standards set for them and trying to break the glass ceiling one step at a time.

Now, coming to the issue of the film. I think the trailer for this film actually did the film a disservice. This film is no way only about the relation between Biba and Haider. People who have not watched the movie are protesting for all the wrong reasons. This is a far more mature film which addresses issues faced by everyone - right from the youngest member of the family to the eldest one. The best scene in this movie, for me,does not even involve Biba. It is the pre-climax scene which has to be the most tender yet the most telling scene in this movie. It packs a punch and by the time the credit rolls, you realise you just finished watching one of the top films of the year.