In the name of God is a BIG HIT in Pakistani theaters despite fatwas and death threats against its production crew.
The movie takes a hard look at fundamentalist Islam while at the same time bashing the US over pretend atrocities.
Young music prodigy Ahmed Jahanzeb along with Shuja Haider (composer of anti-terrorism song Yeh Hum Naheen) produced the soundtrack of the film.
Movie Trailers HERE.
The Pakistani writer and director says he made the movie with the hope of helping to reform radical Islam.
ADN Kronos reported:
Despite fatwas and legal threats to prevent the Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye (In the Name of God) from being screened, the three-hour long blockbuster has become a box-office smash in Pakistan.
In an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI), the film’s writer and director, Shoaib Mansoor, said that it was made to “reform the fundamentalists in Pakistan in particular, and the Muslim world in general. ”
While Mansoor recognises that this is “such a high ambition”, he is thrilled by the response that the film has received in his home country.
Reports say that the film took 180,000 dollars in its opening weekend last month and grossed 500,000 dollars in its first three weeks.
The movie tells the story of two brothers who are musicians. One of them gives up music and becomes radicalised, grows a beard and tries get his mother to wear a hijab. The other brother moves to Chicago to study music but ends up getting arrested after 9/11 and is tortured by US interrogators until he is paralysed.
The film cover hot topics in Pakistan such as marital rape, forced marriage as well as jihad and also includes anti-American sentiments.
It is expected to also generate broad debate at international festivals, like this week’s Venice International Film Festival which is showing a number of political films this year.
“I have hardly cared or bothered about getting into festivals,” Mansoon told AKI. But he admits that screening at an event like Venice would definitely give his Pakistani film greater exposure and credibility.
Despite the part about reforming radical Islam, the anti-US film ought to be a huge hit at Venice.