Movie Review: Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Khuda ke liye’

Posted on July 31, 2007
Filed Under >Yasser Latif Hamdani, TV, Movies & Theatre
183 Comments
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Yasser Latif Hamdani

(UPDATE: You can view this movie here).

We had a preview of the movie Khuda Ke Liye at ATP where we had posed a question whether Shoaib Mansoor will be able to revive Pakistan cinema? A probable answer comes from myself who recently got chance to see this movie. The record breaking Pakistani film Khuda Ke Liye has become my favorite film overnight- Hollywood inclusive. Or more accurately I should say, that there hasn’t been a film in the past that has moved and affected me in this way.

Given the standing ovation the film is getting in theatres all over Pakistan from rich and poor alike, one can safely say that I am not the only one. For one thing it is a uniquely Pakistani story, which could have only come out of Pakistan. To sum it up, it is about us – the people of Pakistan warts and all- take it or leave it.

The genius of Shoaib Mansoor was never in doubt for those who have seen his videos or for that matter the famous Alpha Bravo Charlie – the TV Drama on Pakistan Army. What I was unprepared for was the depth in his thought and the way he has managed to capture the Pakistani dilemma on screen. Ours is a complex and rich predicament which needs to be captured in all its nuances and appreciated in all its paradoxical colors. KKL did just that.

I went to the theatre expecting to see the same old liberal v. fundo arguments. There were those, but unlike how these arguments play out in “The Friday Times” and the “Nawai Waqt“, this remarkable film is fully conscious of its Pakistani identity and the strong Islamic component that forms part thereof.

At the risk of spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, this is the story of two brothers, Mansoor (played by Shaan) and Sarmad (played by theatre actor/musician Fawad of EP fame) both musicians, brought in a well to do Pakistani family. Mansoor and Sarmad are torn apart by the latter’s increased involvement with a certain Maulana Taheri (based most probably on Maulana Sami ul Haq of JUI-S component of the MMA), who turns the soft spoken Sarmad into full fledge Jehadi.

Things are complicated when the brothers’ cousin Mary arrives from London to spend a few days with them, only to discover that she has been tricked by her father into coming to Pakistan to avoid her marrying her Non-Muslim boyfriend Dave. Meanwhile Mansoor leaves for Chicago to enrol at the “School of Music” there. In an epic that switches from London to Lahore to Waziristan to Nangahar Afghanistan to Chicago, these ordinary Pakistanis are increasingly faced with both internal and external conflict. And then there is September 11.

Shoaib Mansoor does not miss a beat, he does not leave any stones unturned. While all characters have more or less the same significance in this plot, it is Mansoor who is at the centre of it: Mansoor who is a proud Pakistani and secure in his Muslim identity, Mansoor who warns Sarmad against extremism, Mansoor who puts the best Muslim and Pakistani foot forward, Mansoor who is abducted by FBI in the middle of the night and beaten and tortured to a pulp, humiliated and abused for being a Pakistani and a Muslim. He is the contrast to Sher Shah and Maulana Taheri. But there are contrasts on the other side as well… Jenny who loves Mansoor for being Mansoor, his classmates who spontaneously join in when Mansoor performs his “music from Pakistan”, his African American professor… all stand in contrast to the American torturers of Mansoor.

The dialogue reaches a fever pitch in a court room in Lahore, where Mary is engaged in a prolonged legal battle. Enter the Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah. He plays the character of a long bearded progressive Islamic scholar (probably based on Maulana Ahmed Javed and Allama Javed Ahmed Ghamidi of Lahore). In what would be the localised version of “Inherit the wind” Courtroom drama, he engages Maulana Taheri and his coterie in an argument on Islamic law and Islamic dress code.

“There is beard in religion, but no religion in beard,”

declares Shah, adding that

“Two men who did the greatest service to Islam in Pakistan, Mahomed Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, did so without a beard and out of the so called Islamic dresscode, in western dress.”

It was on this line that the entire hall filled with applause. Islam – the universal faith – has no uniform. This lays the stage for the final scene- the most poignant scene of the movie, filmed in Lahore’s beautiful Wazir Khan Mosque– the scene which once again made a Muslim out of me. I’ll let you watch it yourself to understand what I am talking about.
As for the film itself, there seem to be a few technical glitches earlier on but they are easily forgotten. Iman Ali‘s performance as Mary or Maryam in the beginning is annoying and one finds her concocted British accent a little annoying at first. However it grows on you and one discovers the fullness of her effort- which is by far the best I have come across by a Pakistani actress. As for the music, those of you who have only heard Bandaya, you are in for a surprise. The film is as a whole an incredible musical experience. What is more is that you discover how aptly Shoaib Mansoor has placed his music in the various scenes. Indeed, driving back from Lahore on the motorway, I could recount/recollect every scene just by listening to the soundtrack.

This is a movie no Pakistani can afford to miss.

183 responses to “Movie Review: Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Khuda ke liye’”

  1. Mr. Jocker says:

    Hello Mr. Light

    Ok let’s just call it a truce and agree to disagree on the music thing. And I can assure you the only people people I try to please are my mother, father and a few other close family and friends…the rest are all honest opinions of mine.

    Incidentally, my name is Khan too and…yep you guessed it, I’m not a terrorist..:)

    The name-correctness afflicts anyone who’s been through the number of Language, Grammar classes as I have…;)

    I’ll agree that the name ‘Taliban’, as Hassan Nisar pointed out shouldn’t be applied to the people under discussion, since they neither seek knowledge, nor would they want to. And I’ll also agree the Afghans have been some of the most downtrodden (but still brave) people in history.

    There is an independent film (documentary rather) called American Muslims, that’s one among many trying to rectify -ve Muslim stereotypes. You might enjoy that.

    Cheers/ Salam

  2. The Light says:

    @Mr Jocker! (sorry i assumed you Mr but i hope u are)

    Well, Islamic teaching is very clear on music and only “Duff/Daf” is allowed and i presume you would agree. You seem to care alot abt mispelling shoaib’s name but have little or no concern when people try to distort Islamic stance on issues just to please non-believers.

    When the whole world is branding us terrorists i would like our media to play their part and raise our voice and tell the world that we are normal peace loving people. How about making a film on the cruelty of Americans’ killing innocent people around the world? A nice try by Shahrukh khan and Karan Johar on explaining to the world the Islamic Identity in the film “My Name is Khan”.

    We just need to love our religion and be proud of it. Do you even know the meaning of the word “Taliban”? How can an innocent Afghani be a terorist who themsleves haven’t seen peace generations after generations?

    Well, i enjoyed my little bumping to you and our exchange of thoughts. Be assured that i am not an extremest but a simple plain follower of Islam (and i suppose we don’t have to be called Muslims if we do not believe in its teachings)

  3. Mr. Jocker says:

    Mr. Lighter! (love your play on the name btw)

    The issue of music is debated within Islamic scholarship as any intellectually honest person is willing to admit. Some have disallowed and some have allowed it, provided it doesn’t cross certain boundaries. I hardly care what the film’s verdict on a complex matter on this is anyway, but it takes a rather formidable idiot to assert that Shoaib Mansoor is out to ‘change Islam’. The people who are indeed trying to portray a ‘false image’ are those brainwashed minions who have no qualms abt spilling their own fellow Muslim’s blood. I’d be more worried abt their manipulation of our image than anything Shoaib has to offer.

    Its morons like you who need to stop blindly parroting their respective favourite mullah’s sermons….:P

    not that i haven’t enjoyed this little exchange….:)

  4. The Light says:

    @Jock..

    Mr Jocker! Muslims do not need to change their teachings or believes for Jockers like you. Music is haram, that is what the teachings of Islam say and patheic people like you and shoib have absolutly no right to change this by portrying false images.

    Islam is the best and it does not need any change of any sort to be compatible with the modern society.

    Its morons like you who need to stop the western teachings blindly.

  5. jock says:

    @The Light

    Most people I meet praise the fact that the film captures many complex issues alive in Pakistani Society…not because it acts as some grand guide to life, or sugar-coated look at ourselves….no film or book can do that (or should feel the need to). And also because it wasn’t some rehashed boy-meets-girl dance sequence, that’s what i liked about it any way.

    Stop trying to turn every issue into some pathetic online holy war. We have enough of those as it is!!!!

    Can’t stand the heat, don’t stay in the kitchen…..don’t like films or music, don’t listen to them and go feed your camels or something of the sort.

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