For God’s sake

While the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) may have managed to get the first Pakistani film—Khuda ke Liye —screened at the International Film Festival of India at Goa this time, their attempts to get director Shoaib Mansoor fell flat. No one from Pakistan came to represent the film at Goa and even Naseeruddin Shah gave the film screening a miss. The DFF was not exactly smiling, but it did not give up. It got in touch with MEA officials in Cairo for a visa for Mansoor to visit Goa as the film director’s visa only allowed him a visit to Mumbai. While DFF overworked itself in trying to get Mansoor to attend the event, the director it seems did not quite share their enthusiasm. He apparently did not approach the Indian Embassy in Cairo for a visa, fearing protests about his film which looks at the Pakistani and Muslim identity post 9/11. Not to let this dampen their spirits, the DFF decided to go ahead with a repeat screening of Khuda ke Liye —“due to its amazing popularity”.