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Pakistani film "Khuda Kay Liye", starring Indian thespian
Naseeruddin Shah and US actors, has drawn huge crowds and won
popular acclaim for displaying "a soft, lenient image" of Islam
that could fight Western notions that have influenced the treatment
of Muslims in the post 9/11 era.
Saad Cheema, a Pakistani cine fan on a visit from the US, said
the Americans had "a very rigid view of Islam" and were
apprehensive of Muslims, and therefore, discriminated against them.
The mullahs portrayed the rigid image of Islam, Cheema said, adding
that the film, which released in Pakistan Friday, had altered this
image. He said if "Khuda Ke Liye" was played in the US, "it could
make a world of a difference to the way people perceived Islam and
Muslims", Daily Times quoted him as saying.
Running at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which was recently
converted into a cinema hall, the film is competing for popular
acclaim with Hollywood blockbuster "Die hard 4". Both films are
sold out, but it is "Khuda Kay Liye" that is earning acclaim.
Written and directed by Pakistani filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor, the
movie is about two brothers who are pop musicians in Lahore, one of
whom gets radicalised under the influence of extremists, while the
other goes to the US and gets unlawfully detained after 9/11.
Maryam, another viewer, said she had watched a really creative and
interesting Pakistani movie after a long time. She said the
movie's release could not have been timed better as society was in
much need of moderate religious ideas.
Maryam said extremism in religion was causing all the mayhem
witnessed in Pakistan and across the world in the recent past. She
hoped that viewers of the movie would gain something positive out
of it and not try to spark yet another conflict just because it
preached moderation over extremism.
Zainab, also visiting from the US, said "Khuda Ke Liye" not only
highlighted issues raised by religious conflicts, but also showed
how these conflicts could be resolved.
Nadeem, who works in the cinema hall, said the crowds that turned
up to watch the movie clearly indicated that people wanted
liberation from conservatism and religious extremism.
Viewers have applauded its moving away from the formula-ridden
cinema generally dished out by "Lollywood", a pejorative to rhyme
with Hollywood for films made in the city studios. They said "Khuda
Kay Liye" could relate to contemporary times.
Omar, another cine-goer, said the film had a brilliant script,
unlike the usual dramatised dialogues in Pakistani films. He
specially liked the build up to the climax that was perfectly
timed.
Indo-Asian News Service
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