Why was the documentary called The Dreamers not given a censor certificate?

On the scene of Pakistan, where on one side the upheaval going on in the political field is going on loudly, on the other hand, another front has been very hot for a few years, on which a big battle is being fought with the 'enemy' at the government level. This enemy has created a red circle around Pakistan in the whole world. This enemy is the polio virus!

 If you have noticed, anti-polio campaigns are being conducted with intensity across the country for the past few years, and now on February 3, 2025, the first national anti-polio campaign has been formally launched, in which more than 4 crore children will be vaccinated. "Complete eradication of polio" from Pakistan has been the first national priority of the government, and despite extensive campaigns, it is surprising that polio is not being eradicated, and not only are polio-positive sewage samples coming from different parts of the country, but polio cases are not ending.

 According to the NIH, there were 73 polio cases nationwide last year, and 493 sewage samples tested positive. Even in the last 20 years, no case of polio has been reported from Azad Kashmir, but sewage samples have started coming out positive for polio there, last year in Mirpur Azad Kashmir, and this year in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.

 The Dreamers: Heroes Fighting for a Polio-Free Pakistan

 In August 2024, when Rawa Documentary Films turned a heart-wrenching chapter in Pakistan's history, director Syed Atif Ali beautifully conveyed the true story of little Iqbal Masih on screen. He has shown us some more surprising pages of history, which is a testament to his filmmaking skills. But then last time something happened that when he made a documentary called 'Hinglaj Ki Devi' on an ancient historical temple in Balochistan, the first wave of disappointment was felt at the premiere of the 43-minute long documentary released on YouTube. Due to the lackluster script and presentation, many questions were raised about it but obviously it was not a big deal, as not every attempt by directors is a hit.

 When Syed Atif Ali, who has made films like 'Prei' and 'Pechhe To Dekho', chose the sensitive subject of polio in Pakistan for his next documentary, there were not too many expectations due to the subject. But he confidently and brilliantly 'comeback' in such a way as to create a sensational documentary on a sensitive and dry subject. If it can be termed sensational based on its content, on the other hand its brilliant transfer to the screen can also be termed as a creative stroke of the director. Watching the entire documentary from beginning to end, the viewer never feels disconnected from the screen for a moment. His storytelling on screen in this film was very powerful.

 Who shot the little Iqbal Masih? A sensitive documentary made in Pakistan

 The unique feature of these documentary films produced under Rawa Films is that for the first time in Pakistan, these films were screened regularly in cinemas, and premiere shows were held, to which a large number of concerned people were invited. But the series got a sudden shock when the Sindh Board of Film Censors was approached for the censor certificate of "The Dreamers". The Sindh Board of Film Censors refused to grant a censor certificate to the documentary saying that the board had deemed it unfit for public screening after review. You may wonder why a documentary film made on a nationally sensitive topic was finally declared inappropriate for people, while it has made the citizens feel the importance of polio vaccine? However, the film has now been released on the YouTube channel, where it can be easily watched.