April 4, 2008 will be a notable day in the history of India and Pakistan, when Khuda ke Liye (In the Name of God), an Urdu film from Pakistan, directed by Shoaib Mansoor, will release theatrically all over India. A film that sensibly portrays the turmoils of Muslims in a post 9/11 world, Khuda ke Liye deals with the rift between radical and liberal Islam, an issue that confronts India’s 140 million Muslims as well while they fight charges that the community provides recruits for militant groups. Director Shoaib Mansoor hopes the Urdu film will engage audiences in India. “It is the first Pakistani film (in India) after several decades, so people should have a natural interest in it,” said Mansoor, “India has a very big Muslim population which should naturally be interested. And the non-Muslims (would want) to know what real Islam is.” The much celebrated and critically acclaimed Mansoor is not only a director but also a composer, producer and a writer.
‘Khuda Kay Liye’ weaves together three stories — of a pop singer who comes under the influence of Islamic extremists, a Briton of Pakistani origin who is forcibly married to her cousin and a man illegally detained in the US after the September, 11 attacks. Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah appears in a cameo in the film, as a Muslim scholar.
