Belief vs adamance make for a good watch

Dharam Sankat Mein
Hindi (UA) ***
Director: Fuwaad Khan
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah

Religion, or plight thereof, seems to be fast becoming a hot topic in Hindi films. Dharam Sankat Mein – henceforth DSM for short – is one such film, except that it manages to ask a few questions that others before it have not asked. On the flip side, it seems to dwell quite a bit on topics already addressed by its predecessors.

But maybe that was a necessity for a story about Amdavadi Brahmin Dharampal (Paresh Rawal) – the somewhat liberal type, who has tasted non-vegetarian and alcohol but retains the Islamophobia passed on to him as family legacy – whose world is turned upside down when he finds out he was adopted by who he knew were his parents, and that his biological parents were Muslims.

He finds out his biological father is still alive, and wants to meet him. But the Imam in charge of the organisation, where the old man is receiving what can best be surmised as palliative care, asks him to come back as more of a Muslim man, so the father is not perturbed by his upbringing.

On the other hand, his son is in love with a girl whose father is the right-hand man of Hindu religious leader “Neelanand Baba” (Naseeruddin Shah), and the girl wants the guy's family to appear more spiritual so her father agrees to the alliance. 

Dharampal is stuck between a rock and a hard place, given Islamic lessons at night by the proud yet extremely helpful Muslim neighbour (Annu Kapoor), while being taught Hindu “shloka” by a priest by day. The dual lives collide, resulting in situations ranging from hilarious to blow-up-the-world kinds, and a somewhat unexpected resolution.

Based on the British film The Infidel, DSM is a good watch primarily thanks to the perennially dependent Rawal, and the adorably arrogant Kapoor. The songs aren't all that catchy, but the situations are often rib-tickling enough to make this at least a one-time watch.