Go see it ‘Khuda kay liye’
KARACHI: Shoaib Mansoor’s film debut ‘Khuda kay liye’ comes at a time when Pakistan is plagued by religious insecurities. The movie endeavors to portray the problems plaguing the Muslim world post 9/11.
If directed by any other individual, such a sensitive, introspective story could easily have metamorphosed into a mere show of finger-pointing. However, Shoaib Mansoor is intelligent enough to portray the gray, confused areas of an individual’s interpretation of religion, experienced enough to fairly depict both the religious and not-so-religious factions of Pakistan and perceptive enough to get his message across: that while religion in itself is good, it is often misused as a means to personal gain. Violence, persecution of women and lawlessness are all conveniently excused to have been done ‘in the name of God’.
The movie outlines the story of two brothers, Mansoor and Sarmad, played by Shan and Fawad Khan, ex-EP singer and model-actor, respectively. The movie starts off with the two brothers crooning to guitars while preparing for a concert. Their rehearsal is interrupted by a group of bearded men on motorcycles who destroy the concert stage with sticks. This scene sets the tone of the entire movie: meaningless violence, all in the name of religion.
Sarmad meets up with a Maulana Sahab, expertly played by Rasheed Naz, who begins to preach the rites of Islam to him. Steadily, Sarmad begins to change - much to his family’s consternation. He leaves music, grows a beard, takes off pictures from the walls of his house and tries to persuade his mother to wear Hijab.
Enters Mary, or Maryam, played by Iman Ali, the boys’ cousin who has grown up in London and now wants to marry her white boyfriend. Her father, though himself involved in a live-in relationship with a British woman, is appalled that his future grandchildren may not be Muslim.
Meanwhile, Mansoor leaves to study music in Chicago where he falls in love with an American girl. While he is there, the catastrophe of September 11 takes place.
‘Khuda kay liye’ is fast-paced and riveting, focusing on a rural Afghan village in one scene, and the polished, urbanized life of Chicago in the other shot; and the boys’ concerned parents in their Lahore home in the third. The acting and dialogue delivery is much better than in any recent Pakistani movie. Iman Ali looks beautiful and heart-rending as the British girl victimized by her father’s double standards. Fawad Khan shines in his film-acting debut. He effortlessly fits into his role and judging from his performance, a bright future lies ahead of him. Rasheed Naz gives a stellar performance as the preaching, jihadi maulvi. Naseeruddin Shah’s role in the film is small yet powerful, with unforgettable dialogue. The soundtrack of the movie is already making waves in the market, boasting names such as Ahmed Jehanzeb and the Meekaal Hassan band. Unlike the typical Pakistani or Indian movie, the songs are not stuffed intrusively in between scenes. They merge well into the storyline.
Shoaib Mansoor does not trivialize the seriousness of his plot by inserting slapstick comedy. The movie does have its funny and satirical moments but they fit in well and cleverly shed light on some rather disturbing home truths. “Acting in this movie was fun but since it is my first venture into film acting, it was also quite intimidating,” admits Fawad Khan. “Shoaib Mansoor is a tough taskmaster but you know that whatever he tells you to do, the result will definitely be amazing.”
It is no doubt that ‘Khuda kay liye’ addresses a controversial topic and will be subjected to harsh criticism. The conversation between Sarmad and his family when he quits music may antagonize a large faction of Pakistani society. The movie addresses issues that every Pakistani is aware of: infliction of force upon a woman to establish man’s supremacy over her because ‘women can never equal men’; the marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim and the problems associated with it and of course, the suspicions and torture inflicted upon Muslims after 9/11.
‘Khuda kay liye’ is a cerebral film that attempts to make Muslims aware of how Islam is misconstrued in order to validate a number of ugly, inhuman crimes. It also tries to explain the dilemma plaguing the Muslim world to the West and that every Muslim is not a gun-wielding maniac. The premiere of the movie was attended by Karachi’s who’s-who who applauded it all the way. Perhaps, the movie’s fan base will mainly consist of Pakistan’s ‘thinking’ class, rather than the masses
