Can you embrace somebody without actually throwing your arms around the person? This dilemma, one of many tackled by a religious-minded fil...
Can you embrace somebody without actually throwing your arms around the person? This dilemma, one of many tackled by a religious-minded film crew keen on ensuring a scripture-friendly shoot, also describes writer-director Zakariya’s balancing act in Halal Love Story.
Zakariya earned his place as one of Malayalam cinema’s brightest young talents with his smash debut Sudani From Nigeria in 2018. A comedy about a Malappuram resident’s heroic attempts to send a stranded Nigerian footballer home, the film was packed with hilarious scenes, memorable characters and feel-good fuzziness.
Versions of the characters in Sudani From Nigeria have wandered into Halal Love Story, as have its Muslim setting, observational humour and abiding faith in humanity. In the Amazon Prime Video original film, creases emerge only to be ironed out, frowns give way to smiles, and rebellion is tempered by conformity. Everybody goes home with a big grin and a glow in the heart.
The screenplay, by Zakariya and Muhsin Parari, pokes gentle fun at the observant without undermining their religious beliefs. Raheem (Nazer Karutheni), the leading light of the local branch of the Jamiathu Ikhwan Al-Wathan organisation, wants to make a faith-based movie, of the kind that Christian groups regularly roll out in the United States. Don’t people like us who want clean films deserve...
