Essentially, the film is about a man who must reconcile who he thought he was and where he really comes from with the idea he's created of himself, in order to become the man he eventually will be. In the midst of an identity crisis, which follows from learning he is Jewish by birth and not “really” Muslim, Mahmud Nasir (Omid Djalili) lies to his loved ones and endangers everything good in his life. Despite several opportunities to come clean to his beautiful wife Saamiya (Archie Panjabi) and their two children, Mahmud continues to hide his discovery and the fact that he’s taking Jewish lessons with American cabbie Lenny (Richard Schiff) in order to gain access, currently barred by a fanatical Rabbi, to his observant-Jew birth father.
Should he admit to being Jewish, Mahmud would ruin the engagement of his son, Rashid (Amit Shah), to Uzma (Soraya Radford), whose mother has recently married Muslim extremist Arshad Al-Masri. Al-Masri (Igal Naor) who won’t let his new stepdaughter marry a nonbeliever. In other words, the pressure is on for Mahmud to prove he’s a good Muslim. Mahmud attempts to do this by burning a yarmulke at a Justice for Palestine rally where Al-Masri will speak. This act is caught on video and posted online. When Mahmud returns home from a failed attempt to meet his father, Al-Masri is there. He gives the Rashid-Uzma union his blessing and then cops show up to arrest Mahmud for inciting religious hatred. Mahmud must decide if he will risk his son’s happiness and save himself by admitting he is Jewish or accept his arrest.
Despite its heavy subject matter, the film is billed as a comedy, and it improbably succeeds. The juxtaposition of Muslims and Jews provides excellent fodder for comedy. More than that, the movie conveys the message that these warring factions are not so different without being preachy. Just as Mahmud found peace with two conflicting parts of himself, so can the world’s Muslims and Jews – and we can all learn to laugh about our differences.
This film review was originally published on two.one.five magazine's website.
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