New Delhi, (IANS) The Pakistani film “Khuda Kay Liye”, which delves

into the rift between radical and liberal Muslims, hits the screens here

this week, the first to have a commercial release in India in more than

four decades.

The movie, starring Naseeruddin Shah in a key role, has been made by

Shoaib Mansoor. Mumbai-based Percept Picture Company has got the

rights of the film and is releasing it with 300 prints on April 4.

“We are the first to get the rights of a Pakistani film and it’s a big high

for us. We are releasing it with 300 prints, including the digital ones,”

Nadish Bhatia, general manager of the marketing division of the

Percept Picture Company told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

“Everybody is saying ‘Khamosh Pani’ was the first Pakistani film to hit

the Indian theatres. It was a French co-production. But ‘Khuda Kay

Liye’ is a Pakistani film and the first one to hit Indian screens in 43

years,” Bhatia added.

The movie, which faced opposition from the extremists and Pakistani

clerics, was a huge hit in Pakistan.

“The film has made a record in the country. Those who hadn’t been to a

hall in 35 years made an effort to watch the film,” said Mansoor, who

was in town to promote his movie.

“We released it with only 10 prints. Pakistan is a small market, but we

still made Rs.70 million in Pakistani currency. It is surprising that a

film which discusses religion and doesn’t have any humour, songs,

dance or romance has done so well commercially. It means that it has

touched the hearts of people,” he added.

Mansoor, who has also produced the movie, made it at a budget of 60

million Pakistani rupees.

“The film has made an impact in Pakistan and abroad and I am

confident that it will make an impact here too.”

“Khuda Kay Liye” was the first Pakistani film to be included in the

official line-up of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and it

struck an instant chord with audiences when showcased there last year.

The film stars Pakistani superstar Shaan, who impresses as the harried

protagonist Mansoor, and Rasheed Naz as the Maulana who

brainwashes boys. The film also features Pakistan’s top model Iman

Ali, who plays Maryam, a woman trapped between modernism and

conservatism.

Naseeruddin Shah essays a powerful cameo of an Islamic scholar who

embodies the voice of reason.

With the lifting of the ban for exchange of films between the two

countries, the Pakistan government has allowed it on a condition that

films will be strictly “exchanged”. For each Hindi title released in

Pakistan, an Urdu film will have to be exhibited in India.

Indian movies were banned in Pakistan in 1968 and the Pakistan film

industry had to bear huge losses. There were more than 1,000 theatres

throughout Pakistan those days, but now it is reduced to just 200.

Compared to India, which churns out about 1,000 films every year,

Pakistan’s film industry produces just about 40 movies, a fifth of what

it churned out during its heyday in the 1970s.

“This action will not only benefit Indian producers but Pakistani

filmmakers as well. Now that the films will have legal screenings,

Indian producers will get a new market. Its a double whammy for the

film industry in Pakistan,” Mansoor said.

“Pakistan will get a big Indian market and when Indian films will come

there, the business of cinema will flourish. Secondly, release of Indian

films will translate in competition for Pakistani filmmakers. In a

competition, the underdog benefits. This will help good filmmakers

come out and bad filmmakers will automatically vanish,” Mansoor

said.