| Khuda Kay Liye | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Shoaib Mansoor |
| Produced by | Shoman Productions |
| Written by | Shoaib Mansoor |
| Starring | Shaan Naseeruddin Shah Fawad Afzal Khan Iman Ali Hameed Sheikh |
| Music by | Rohail Hyatt |
| Cinematography | Ali Mohammad Neil Lisk Ken Seng[1] |
| Editing by | Ali Javed Aamir Khan |
| Distributed by | Geo Films |
| Release date(s) | July 20, 2007 (Pakistan) October 25, 2007 (UAE) November 2, 2007 (United Kingdom) November 21, 2007 (United States) April 4, 2008 (India) |
| Running time | 167 minutes |
| Country | Pakistan[2][3][4] India[2][3][4] United States[2][3][4] |
| Language | Urdu Pashto English |
| Budget | PKR 60 million[5] (US$ 1 million)[6] |
| Box office | US$ 2,432,378[7] |
Khuda Kay Liye (Urdu: خُدا کے لیے, literal translation: "For God's Sake") is a 2007 Pakistani Urdu-language drama film written, directed and produced by Shoaib Mansoor, starring Shaan, Iman Ali, Fawad Afzal Khan and Hameed Sheikh. Naseeruddin Shah, an Indian actor known for his performances in Indian parallel cinema and theater also appears in the film.
Most of the film was shot on location in Chicago, Lahore and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Produced by Geo TV, Khuda Kay Liye was theatrically released in Pakistan on July 20, 2007 and grossed over $10 million worldwide. Critical response was generally positive, with some religious conservatives criticizing the film and called for a ban in Pakistan. Overall, there was a tremendous curiosity around the film due to the presence of big names. It resulted in a grand opening, and the film turned out to be a huge commercial as well as a critical success in Pakistan and India.
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Three different people from different continents have problems that relate to South Asian culture and the subsequent misinterpretations of Islam in Pakistan's society.
Two brothers who are singers, Mansoor (Shaan) and Sarmad (Fawad), become two of the best singers in Lahore. Sarmad becomes influenced by an Islamic activist. He begins to practice the extremist interpretation of Islam, grows a beard and goes against music, putting pressure on his free-spirited family to comply. Those parties interpret certain verses of the Quran and Hadith (Islamic religious texts) to call for a ban on music and pictures.
In England, Mary/Mariam (played by actor-model Iman Ali) is a westernized British Pakistani girl in love with a British boy named Dave. Her hypocritical father disapproves, despite the fact that he is living with a British woman to whom he is not married. He tells Mary that they are going to Pakistan for a trip and that once they return she can marry Dave. This, however, is a trap. While touring FATA, he has her forcibly married to Sarmad, who is her cousin. Mary is then abandoned in FATA at her new household.
Meanwhile, Mansoor goes to a music school in Chicago. There, he meets a girl called Janie and instantly falls in love with her. She quits alcohol for him, and they eventually get married. After 9/11, FBI officers capture him when someone overhears a drunk man accusing Mansoor of being a terrorist. Subsequently, he is tortured for a year in custody just because of his Islamic background.
Mary manages to run away but is caught by Sarmad in the process. She is kept under strict supervision and, due to this incident, Sarmad eventually consummates their marriage by force. She doesn't lose hope, managing to sneak a letter to Dave under the guise of writing to her father. Mansoor and Sarmad's parents finally come to her rescue under the protection of the British government, but Mary, driven by vengeance, then takes her father and cousin to court in Pakistan. There, a Maulana (Naseeruddin Shah) explains to the court how Islam is being butchered in the name of war and hatred, bringing the religion forward in a believable and peaceful manner.
Traumatized by all the suffering he has seen and caused, Sarmad withdraws from the case. He also realizes the damage that he was made to do in the name of religion. Mary is now free and returns to the village where she was kept prisoner so she can educate the girls there. Meanwhile, Mansoor is still in U.S. custody after a year of torment; the last torture session having inflicted permanent brain damage. After a failed rehab attempt, he is deported and reunited with his family in Pakistan where, thanks to the hope of his family, he begins to slowly recover.
Khuda Kay Liye was released on July 20, 2007.
Khuda Kay Liye is one of very few, if any, independent motion pictures to be released to a cinema-going Pakistani market. The general trend in local cinema revolves around formulaic song and dance numbers, reminiscent of Lollywood musicals. Independent films or films that break this formula are rare if not entirely absent.
The film was produced in conjunction with the film division of the popular TV network, Geo TV of Pakistan.[2][4] The film is a joint venture of Pakistan, India, and the United States.[2][3][4]
The film opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews. There was tremendous curiosity around the film. The presence of big names and Naseeruddin Shah resulted in a grand opening and the film turned out to be a huge commercial as well as critical success in Pakistan. In India the film was critically lauded as people flocked to see the source of the criticism.
Some religious conservatives in Pakistan have criticized the film and called for its ban.
Four years after its release, on 9 September 2011 (two days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11), Zee News described Khuda Kay Liye as best cinematic work along with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 which seem to have earned maximum appreciation from amongst 40 films and documentaries that were made in relation to WTC terrorist attacks.[8]
The film's soundtrack was released on July 7, 2007. The soundtrack is also available on the film's official website. The soundtrack album of the film was composed and produced by Rohail Hyatt. All songs were written by Shoaib Mansoor with an exception of "Mahi Way" and "Bandeya". The OST was recorded at Gravity Studios in Chicago by Kamijee.
Khuda Kay Liye is the second highest grossing film of Pakistan of all time with a gross of over $10 million.[9] Iman Ali makes her cinematic debut with this film, playing an Anglo-Pakistani. Shaan's wife is played by Austin Sayre. Ahmed Jahanzeb and Shuja Haider produced the film's soundtrack. The film has won the following awards since its release:
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