Khuda Kay Liye Review  

Khuda Kay Liye Review  

Khuda Kay Liye Review  

i'm late with my review, but its better late than never, watched it soo many times in cinema's and…  

i'm late with my review, but its better late than never, watched it soo many times in cinema's and on youtube, by far its the best peice of cinema that has come out in ages.. a huge fan of this movie. and it had sucha big impact that, newyork and my nameis khan are inspired from this .. so hats off to shaoib mansoor 

the movie iz jus par excellence i waz jus shocked to watch such a brilliant movie made by the…  

the movie iz jus par excellence i waz jus shocked to watch such a brilliant movie made by the paistani director shoaib mansoor.the acting done by the two main characters is just mindblowing.naseeruddin shah has also played his part well 

Khuda k Liye The movie which every muslim should watch. Why only muslims ? Everybody should watch…  

Khuda k Liye The movie which every muslim should watch. Why only muslims ? Everybody should watch the movie. But its a must for the muslims. I m a muslim. I could actually relate to Mansoor, Shaan. The ideology of the muslims and the belief system is depicted very well. Misconceptions about Islam and the thinking process of the muslims, a very clean and very true presentation of problems. I m really glad that some one took the effort for making such wonderful movie. 

I watched this movie last year when it was released in chicago. I must say its an amazing movie.…  

I watched this movie last year when it was released in chicago. I must say its an amazing movie. Raises many questions and allows one to think. It stays with you for a while. I have to say one thing that the critic on indiafm did not do justice and gave only 2.5 stars. It deserves much more. I have seen this movie 3 times now, and i like it each time.  

I honestly dont have words for this movie. I have seen very few Pakistani movies. As a Indian we…  

I honestly dont have words for this movie. I have seen very few Pakistani movies. As a Indian we dont really get to see much work from Pakistan apart from their amazing Music and excellent Television serials and plays. This movie has really defined what a movie should be and look like. It is one of the best Movies in the entire subcontinent. I loved it. It was so not the cliche, typical formula movies that we are getting to see lately, enough of the girls in mini skirts and dancing in the streets. Lets tackle some real issues. Thats what this movie has done. This is what I call a grade A movie. I hope to look forward to more work from Pakistan. 

Nothing you say or do can exonerate you from the sin of missing this film. No review on either side…  

Nothing you say or do can exonerate you from the sin of missing this film. No review on either side of the border, or the ones by our learned critics abroad have done justice to the film thematic power and enrapturing almost mesmeric execution of a plot that takes the director through three geopolitical zones without stumbling during the historic journey. Khuda Kay Liye is that rare historical testament to our troubled times that not only puts forward groundbreaking rousing and disturbing ideas on religious amd cultural identity as defined by western imperialism, it also manges to be an acutely gripping take on the wages of 'sing' subsuming suspense and drama in quantities that are eminently digestible disturbing and nagging in their reverberations. The brilliantly- structured plot takes the Pakistani characters through three continents. In Lahore writer-director Shoaib Mansoor introduces us to a liberal Pakistani family where the two sons both musicians follow separate paths. While the younger son, played by Fawad Khan, is brainwashed by a charismatic mullah (Rasheed Naz) into embracing fundamentalism, the elder son (played by Pakistani superstar Shan) sets off for Chicago to study music. In the US another kind of music awaits Shan. As he gets falsely implicated into charges of terrorism and is tortured in jail, the director cuts back into the younger brother's life and his Pakistani-British wife (model Iman Alu) who's tricked by her father into abandoning her British boyfiend to marry Fawad Khan who first tries to be a gentle and patient husband (a la Manoj Bajpai in Chandraprakash Diwedi's Pinjar) and then gets harsh with his woman, like all 'strong' men are exexpected to. The narrative builds so many layers and levels of socio-political relevances you wonder how the pyramid of pronounced significations underlining the emotionally and physically tortured characters doesn't collapse under the weight of messages and meanings. If the plot in Khuda Kay Liye doesn't do a 9/11 in the narrative it's because the director yokes his thought-proccesses to a vision that goes beyond aggressive propaganda. We get swept uinto the culturally and religiously challenged world of these derelict misbegotten characters not because they have political statements to make but because their politics and religion indentity emerges from their individual conflicts and conscientiousness rather than their ability to assume emblematic shapes. First and foremost Khuda Kay Liye is a human-interest story. We watch the distant yet unified destinies of the two brothers acquire colour and motivation through a skilled and seamless weaving of three cultures and myriad strands of impulses emerging from the dichotomies that manoeuvre the characters from their roots to their ricocheting destinies in worlds that are torn apart by emotional and political strife. Do not make the mistake of presuming this to be message-mongering piece of propagandist cinema. What director Shoaib Mansoor has to say about Islamic radicalism and western liberalism has a direct bearing on how we Indians live our lives. The film is surprisingly skilled in technique. The camera stalks the three continents with the reverence of a pilgrimage but without the accompanying subservience. Some portions of the narrative involving Shan's interrogation in prison get too explicit for comfort. But then this film hasn't been made to lull you into a false all-is-well-in-the-world sense of bonhomie. There's an irrevocable sickness at the heart of humanity and this film has no qualms in admitting it with a stunning simplicity of movement that leaves the narrative completely liberated of gimmicks and affectations. The performances are all firsr-rate and I'm happy to see such talented actors in Pakistan (the ones who have come here so far are laughably meager in their abilities). Yes Iman Ali as the British girl who goes through the grueling process of being conned into visiting and marrying at home (remember Vipul Shah's Namaste London?) does seem somewhat affected at times. The affectations, if and when they occur, are far too rare in this film to affect its innate power and energy to alter, if not transform the way we look at life in a closed society. When Naseeruddin Shah in an all-pervasive cameo opens the windows of the mind and tells us that music can never be haraam,we actually hear the sound of music wafting out of a hidden corner of our wounded hearts. Khuda Kay Liye isn't just music to our ears. It's an eminently welcome 

786 FILM REVIEW KHUDA KE LIYE – IN THE NAME OF GOD – THE BEST PAKISTANI FILM BY: SHAHEEN RAAJ…  

786 FILM REVIEW KHUDA KE LIYE – IN THE NAME OF GOD – THE BEST PAKISTANI FILM BY: SHAHEEN RAAJ ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ – (‘In The Name Of God’) a Pakistani film directed by Shoaib Mansoor has finally been released in India and winning a lot of critical acclaim but sadly enough it has not been patronized so much by the Indian audiences. Yet all is not lost as by sheer word of mouth publicity it is gaining popularity day by day. No doubt the film has won all the laurels, plaudits and bouquets in lieu with a standing ovation in all the global film festivals. Indeed it is an aptly saluted tribute for our neighboring country Pakistan. This 170 minutes movie in Urdu language with English subtitles had kept the festival audiences spellbindingly hooked to their seats. Now it is the turn of the Indian cine goers. A word about the debutante director Shoaib Mansoor! He has been rated by global critics as one of the most influential figure on the Pakistani showbiz scene. Shoaib Mansoor was first spotlighted in the starry limelight with his Pakistani TV shows like ‘Alpha Bravo’, ‘Charlie’, ‘Sunehre Din’, ‘Gulls & Guys’ et al. Apart from being a director in his own right for the small screen arena he has also successfully dabbled with penning lyrics and screenplay writings for all his theatre productions directed by him albeit in tandem with Junaid Jamshed of ‘Vital Signs’ live band. The chartbusters amongst them being ‘Supreme Ishq’, ‘Dil Dil Pakistan ’, and ‘Aitebar’. Lastly he has been awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance and Sitara – e – Imtiaz conferred on him by the Government of Pakistan. So what is the film ‘Khuda Ke liye’ (‘In The Name Of God’) all about? First things first! It clears a lot of orthodox and fundamentalist myths, the views of the religious fanatics pertaining to all religions in general albeit Islamic religion in particular. The most pertinent highlight of the film is the courtroom scene wherein Naseeruddin Shah appears as Maulana Wali. He quotes the Koranic scriptures with reference to its exact verses, which belies all the falsity of a women’s right to marriage & divorce, the young generation’s rights to religious followings. A true blue Muslim man need not always be dressed in a typical Salwar - Kameez attire or sport a long beard. If in spite of following all the religious doctrines, which includes the Haj Pilgrimage, he has not cleansed himself from within then he is a perfect sinner. An apt eye opener for Gen X. The same holds true in case of a woman’s hijab (veil). And last but not the least is that no one is a born terrorist. It is the religious Maulanas who waylaid the innocent young man for Jihad (warfare) and term it as its all ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ (‘In The Name Of God’). In brief ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ (‘In The Name Of God’) outlines the story of two brothers Mansoor (Shaan Ali) and Sarmad (Fawd Afzal Khan) living in Lahore. They aspire to be musicians and form their own band. But things go topsy turvy when Sarmad’s extremist friend Sher Shah (Hamid Sheikh) introduces him to Maulana Tahiri who compels him to be a religious fanatic. He forces him to denounce the music, give up his jeans clad attire, grow a beard et al. Once again I would like to mention that Maulana Wali rightly says in the court, ‘Deen (religion) mein dadi (beard) ho sakti hai, lekin dadi mein deen nahin!’ Meanwhile Mansoor & Sarmad’s Uncle Humayun, who was living in London with his live in Gori mem and a daughter Maryam aka Mary (Iman Ali), comes to Lahore with his Daughter as he wants to prevent her from getting married to her Gora British boyfriend Dave. He tries to get her married to Mansoor who flatly turns down his request. Next he conspires with Sarmad and requests him to help him ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ (‘In The Name Of God’). He takes Sarmed and Maryam to a remote village in Afghanistan and in connivance with Maulana Tahiri he gets them forcibly married and then deserts (Pun Intended) them. All efforts of Maryam to escape from there are foiled by Sher Shah & Sarmad. And one day when Sarmad forcibly exercises his conjugal rights Maryam becomes pregnant and resigns to her fate. On the other hand Mansoor lands up in the United States of America to study music. He meets Janie (Austin Marie Sayre) in the same music class. The two of them gradually fall in love and get married in a civil court. It turns out to be the day of 9/11 (Of the twin tower blasts fame). On the wedding night itself Janie is made unconscious by chloroform & Mansoor is dragged to a dingy prison cell. Out there he is tortured so much that he turns lunatic. He is thrown later in an asylum. Meanwhile Maryam gives birth to a baby boy and also succeeds in conveying a message to her Uncle who comes and rescues her and takes her back to Lahore. In Lahore Maryam files a case against her father & her husband Sarmad for ruining her life by getting her married forcibly. This proves to be the turning point of the film. Maryam wins the case yet as an after thought she forgives her husband and goes back to live in the village of Afghanistan minus her husband. Mansoor, still in his lunatic condition, in lieu with Sarmad returns to their family home in Lahore. Finally one can only say that this film ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ (‘In The Name Of God’) has already proved to be a morale booster, an upliftment for the, of late, sagging Pakistani film industry. Shoaib Mansoor has shown his directorial brilliance in his maiden megaphone wielding of a feature film. The technical finesse is simply outstanding. Special mention must be made of its fusion of Sufi and Pure Classical music score by Khawar Jawad and Rohail Hayat. Besides art directors Jennifer Gerber & David Christopher Krause. Not to forget costumes by Ronald G Forsyth, Emma Potter and Kuba Zelazek. Performance wise Naseeruddin Shah takes a lead in the histrionics department closely followed by the Pakistani actors Shaan Ali as Mansoor, Iman Ali as Maryam & above all Fawad Afzal Khan as the teenybopper chocolate hero transformed into a typically bearded Muslim guy. He is just amazing & awesome. Not to be missed film.  

One stupid movie to watch. If you dont get movie for any hindi, telugu or tamil movie, you will get…  

One stupid movie to watch. If you dont get movie for any hindi, telugu or tamil movie, you will get ticket for this movie. But anyhow people who have little patience will walk out in interval and people who have lots of patience will sit till the end of the movie expecting something will be there. This is not for intelligent people strictly.  

a very good movie from the other side of the border with great songs...go for it  

a very good movie from the other side of the border with great songs...go for it