Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi, April 04: After a long silence of over 40 years, an award-winning, intriguing and off-beat Pakistani film ‘Khuda Kay Liye’, set in the post 9/11 era, is being released in the Indian cinemas on Friday by Percept Picture Company with a record 150 prints amid great fanfare.
With the lifting of four decade-old ban imposed in 1968 for exchange of films between the two countries, the Pakistan Government has allowed it with a condition that for each Hindi title released in Pakistan, an Urdu film will have to be released in India. Shot in 45-days flat in 2005-06, on a shoestring budget, the film has won many critical acclaims. It was also screened at the International Film Festival of India in 2007 in Goa.
The movie revolves around a young Pakistani man (Shaan), who goes to the United States for higher education. During his study years, the tragic events of 9/11 take place during which the World Trade Centre is turned into dust. After a long period of investigations and arrests, the young man gets arrested by the American authorities; and his younger brother gets motivated by his old extremist friend Shershah (Hameed Sheikh) to follow the path of God and quit all musical activities in favour of the ‘’straight’’ path. Meanwhile his uncle (Humayun Kazmi) arrives from the UK with his only cousin Mary (Iman Ali), who wants to marry her non-Muslim boyfriend back in the UK against her family’s wishes. He brings her to Pakistan where Shershah trucks them to their village in a tribal area near Afghanistan. Then there is an attempt to escape but Shershah follows Mary and brings her back to the village.
Khuda Kay Liye covers a vast canvas and emphasises the fact that it is more important to be a true Muslim at heart, than to just proclaim your faith by growing a beard, or by keeping your woman under veil (purdah) or dressing in kurta pyjama.
This record-breaking Pakistani film has very delicately narrated the situation after 9/11, which not only created a rift between the western world and the Muslims but also within the Muslim community. It describes a struggle between fundamentalists and liberal Muslims after the tragic events of 9/11 during which the World Trade Centre turned into dust.
The whole story is woven around educated and modern Muslims in a difficult situation because of their approach towards life and their western attire as they are criticized and harassed by the fundamentalists. On the other hand, the western world sees them as potential suspects of terrorism just because of their Muslim names, which results in great sufferings for a liberal Muslim.
India’s very own Naseeruddin Shah plays the prominent role of a Muslim cleric named Maulana Wali, in a special appearance in the film and he was so impressed with his role that he did not charge any fee for working in the film.
The movie won the Silver Pyramid Award in 2007 at the 31st Cairo International Film Festival, Best Foreign Film Award at Muscat Film Festival and has been honoured with the Roberto Rossellini Award in Italy. The film was well received in Dubai, London and Pakistan. With the screening of Khuda Kay Liye in India, the thawing relations with Pakistan seem set to soften as both countries are working hard on a sweeping peace process.
