Khuda Ke liye - In the Name of God

I am not sure what was more moving about this movie – the plot, the characters, the sensitive issues of atrocities on women, Sufi soundtrack or the overall take on the abuse of Islam. With a fetish for the true (read = NOT fanatic) Islamic culture, this movie highlights to me, in the most objective and impartial manner, the essence of being a Muslim. Through the characters, different aspects of Muslim lifestyles are brought into the foray. Without any intentions of revealing the plot of this movie, several problems are addressed with due space for each of these to grow into the minds of the viewers. While on one hand is the violence women face by their fellow-Muslims, on the other are the stark changes in the mind of the young blood, who tends towards fanaticism, wrongly influenced by the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic-know-it-all’! There is also another who falls prey to injustice due to racial discrimination.

Set across three countries (continents) – Pakistan, England and USA – the time spans between pre 9/11 and ends around end of 2002. It depicts various facets of Muslim lifestyle - rich family in Pakistan with a mix of traditional and liberal values, double standards of a UK-settled Muslim, stuck to his orthodox beliefs and status symbol, conditions of women during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, radical (fanatic) Maulana and his sermons on the dos and don’ts in Islam, American investigator whose perceptions of Muslims are clouded by 9/11 and brilliant characterization of a spiritually elevated Maulana (played by Naseeruddin Shah) whose understanding of the religion paves way for the viewers to comprehend. He is shown to be a renowned Maulana, who has a pragmatic approach to Islam and is in love with his Islamic wel-being. Some of the best dialogues come from him. Below is the one of the scenes that best portrays various angles on the misuse of Islam:

His dialogues represent the hypocrisy that exists not only in the religion but more so, those who interpret it without any true knowledge. Creating a lasting impact among its viewers, the makers of this movie illustrate the role of Islam in present day. While the world is witness to the battle between Islaam and ‘Other Religions’, this movie attempts to objectively define the religion per se and points out what it theoretically lacks. It does not provide all the answers but sets the agenda for the audience to question.