In a statement published on Friday, the embassy called any opposition to the film before watching it “wrong, illogical and inaccurate,” Tehran Times reported.
“The film has not made any insult to Islamic values,” the statement said.
“Muhammad (S), the Messenger of God” is Majid Majidi’s latest film about the childhood of the Prophet of Islam (S).
“Iran has always been a pioneer in defending Islamic values and the fatwa by Imam Khomeini, the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, against author Salman Rushdie for his book ‘Satanic Verses’ proves the fact,” the statement added.
“Expressing any opinions about topics such as a religious movie like ‘Muhammad’ (S) must be left to the experts. However, such issues should not lead to dissention within the Muslims, since the world of Islam would have to pay a high price for such disagreements,” the statement concluded.
In a letter submitted to Iranian Ambassador Gholamreza Ansari, Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari has recently criticized the making of “Muhammad (S)”.
He claimed he has heard that the images of the Prophet (S) and his household have been depicted in the film.
Moreover, a Mumbai-based Sunni Muslim group Raza Academy has issued a fatwa against Indian composer A. R. Rahman and Majidi for their collaboration in the film.
The 39th Montreal World Film Festival opened with the world premiere of the movie.
Most of Iran’s movie theaters, in addition to a large number of cultural centers in remote cities equipped by the Mostazafan Foundation, are screening the $40-million film, which is Iran’s most expensive production ever.
Box-office receipts for the film have hit 30 billion rials (about $1 million) during a fortnight screening.
‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God,’ the religious biopic directed by Iran’s Majid Majidi has enjoyed a warm welcome in Canada, where it had its world premier at the 2015 Montreal World Film Festival.
According to head of the film’s production company, the festival has arranged two extra screening sessions due to the large and enthusiastic audience present at the event.
Majidi’s epic production has also experienced successful national screening, selling nearly $60,000 only on Monday.
‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’ is also rated 8.9 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), which allows users to rate films on a scale of one to ten.
The film is the first part of a trilogy on the life of Islam’s holy prophet, which recounts the early years of his prophethood in the city of Mecca.
It took five years for Majidi and his team to produce the 171-minute movie. With a budget of over $55 million, the religious blockbuster is the most expensive film ever made in Iran.
Produced by Mohammad Mehdi Heidarian, the film was shot in Iran and the South African city of Bela-Bela.
The cinematic project has enjoyed the cooperation of renowned international craftsmen and artists such as Italian cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, Italian film editor, Roberto Perpignani, American special effects artist, Scott E. Anderson, Italian makeup artist, Gianetto De Rossi, and Indian composer, A. R. Rahman. (Sources: Press TV, Tehran Times)