Habibullah

Pitch

Habibullah, a man of 80, singer and poet, sings at wedding ceremonies where the guests dance. He lives with his wife, on their own in the village. Over the last few years he has been under pressure from the mullahs and certain other radical religious personalities. They are asking him to stop singing and to repent and not to perform at wedding ceremonies any more. They accuse him of promoting corruption and prostitution and encouraging people to lose faith and give up religion. But Habibullah stands up to them and opposes them, even though he is sometimes prone to doubt. His wife is on his side. The religious authorities ask him either to stop singing and repent or else leave the village, calling him a sinner doomed to Hell. His children think that singing is no longer appropriate for someone of his age and that it exposes their family to mockery. But Habibullah thinks of himself as a pious, god-fearing man, saying that he cannot give up singing for it is as essential to him as the breath he takes. He is aware that some believe that his song will send him to Hell, but he resists them, convinced that he can be a singer and go to Heaven.