Khuda Kay Liye

When i was entering the cinema hall in Lahore on the first day of its release,i thought i was the only female who was going to watch the film as our families have stopped visiting the cinema cause of the type of films that are being made nowadays....But i was shocked n surprised to see lot of girls coming into the cinema with their family members to watch this master piece by Pakistan's finest director or should i say the only brilliant director we have,the great, Shoaib Mansoor....

"Khuda Kay liye" is a masterpiece...Every Pakistani should be proud of the fact that this film is made in our country...when everyone thought that PAkistani Cinema is dead...Khuda Kay liye came at the right time and have played a major part in revival of our cinema....

What shud i say about the movie...everyone Pakistani should visit the cinema at least once to watch this movie n also to contribute a bit in the revival of our industry....

Hats of to Shaan,Fawad Khan n Imaan Ali for their great performances...i am not a big fan of shaan but was actually surprised to see such a brilliant performance by him...if given a chance he can beat any actor from across the border or anywhere in the world...Fawad was also quite gud in his role...lets say he fitted well...Iman Ali was also quite surprising...coming from a modeling background i never expected her to be so believable in the role she waz doing...gr8 work by every actor...

One person who needs a special mention here is Naseeruddin shah....i dun have to say anything about him...he is truly a legend....he proved that when it comes to a great cinema it cannot be completed without him being their cuz he himself is an integral part of it...his every dialog,every move will make u glued to ur seats...u just have to see the movie to know what i am talking about...

And lastly i would actually like to thank Shoaib Mansoor for giving us such a beautiful and did i mention thought provoking film...its a film that we can be proud of...if such films are being continuously made we will soon say bye bye to all those crappy stuff from across the border....

When someone says "revival of Pakistani cinema" about a film u expect something out of it and then one looks at the team and sees names of the best lot of people available in the country and the expectations rise. after seeing the trailers of Khuda Ke Liye one expects nothing short of the sky.

So does it deliver is the real question??? Shoaib Mansoor along with his whole team claims that he has created something big. Unfortunately Khuda Ke Liye isn't that big. It's even bigger!!!

Its the story of two brothers, played by Shaan and Fawad khan. Who are musicians and are born in a well-to-do family of Lahore. Then in very little time their lives change as the younger brother Sarmad(Fawad Khan) chooses a path for himself that none of his family members ever thought he would. Inspiration for such a path comes from a Maulana of the mosque.

Iman Ali plays Marry a girl born to a Pakistani British citizen. who wants to marry a British Christan boy against the will of her father. Naseer-Uddin-Shah plays a moderate Mowlana as a guest appearance.

The movie as is being usually thought of does not ONLY cater the issue of fundamentalism in Islam it also tackles other issues such as Pakistanis born and brought up in foreign lands and their issues and post 9/11 problems faced by Muslims.

Director Shoaib Mansoor gets it right as usual the writing is also perfect. he very easily balances the stories running together. The screenplay is perfect and the picture quality is top notch. the music is also perfect and never does it hamper the story flow. lyrics are also good.

Acting wise Shaan(Mansoor) proves that why he is considered as the best in the industry, he plays the modern Muslim boy brilliantly. Fawad Khan makes a superb debut he portrays the various shades of Sarmad's persona superbly. Rasheed Naz, Seemi Raheel and Hammed Sheikh are all superb and play their parts with great ease.

Khuda Ke Liye goes into a territory that no Pakistani movie-maker has ventured into ever. It not only deals with the issue of fundamentalism in Islam and how it is destroying our society but also other important issues faced by Muslims around the globe.

A powerful script has been an enigma to Pakistani cinema for more than two decades now. Once this industry was ruled on the basis of powerful writing but this art was long forgotten until now. Shoaib Mansoor has worked really hard on the script, though there were a couple of loose ends to the script but the captivating second half keeps you at bay from anything lacking. Shoaib Mansoor; the director, has worked with quite a few D.O.Ps for this film and it clearly shows as the continuity is broken several times but all this can be ignored, thanks to some brilliant acting by Shaan and Naseerudin Shah. Fawad and Iman has done a commendable job given that it was their first film. There were some technical glitches as well but again nothing unforgivable. The film carries a very important message about not to stereotype things and also confronts the world to the fact that Islam is not about fanaticism. A religion cannot teach terrorism and Islam is no different it only teaches you love peace and submission. Islam means submission and how can submission be violent. The film confronts many ironies about the religion and is very well scripted. A definite watch for everyone, be it Muslim, Muslim Lover or hater!

I'm not going to say much for now even though i have much comments about this film after i watched it 3 days ago.

all i will say you must watch it your self,whether you will agree with whats in it or not,this movie it tore heart apart, but i prefer to postpone all for now i want to say about this movie -for now- my critical point of view is not imp now what i want to say for now is,guys this movie has already won an award in my country in Egypt we have the international Cairo film festival and by the way this film festival is recognized abroad within the 12 approved international film festival it has won the 2nd award. that adds one more reason why you should watch it.

"In the name of God" or "Khuda kay liye" portrays the dilemma that every Muslim living abroad and at home faces in present time. It is also an internal war between the moderates and fanatics apart from the outside battle they are fighting within their own world. Frustrated and victimised by generalisations and self righteousness from the fanatic religious groups and authorities both of which lack a deep understanding of how cultural values and religion both entwine to make up Muslims. While not without faith the moderates seem to be paying highest price for this war on terror. How does a moderate Muslim survive this war? What happens when there is clash of fundamentalism.

PROS: Well knit story, although the editing is a bit choppy at times, good cinematography, good script, very true to reality and good acting by Rasheed Naz, Naeem Tahir, Shaan, newcomer Fawad Khan and of course the one and only Naseer ud din Shah. The film leaves you with questions which is more than any Pakistani film has ever done.

CONS: While this film has made big leaps into bringing Pakistani Cinema on the map of the International Cinema. I just think that a little bit of attention to detail would have made it an exceptional film by international standards e.g. Shan could have lost more weight while in the cell, he still looks like he is working out for a marathon. Iman's British accent is a bit funny. Still a brilliant film and better than most bollywood films because it sticks close to reality and deals with very relevant and sensitive issues.

Note: I just wish that they would have released it in other countries especially in the gulf simultaneously as it would have attracted a larger more empathetic audience than Pakistan. Let's hope it does well in the international film festivals.