The Infidel: How to tell a religious joke?

As The Infidel premiere's at London's Hammersmith Apollo, Clare Vooght heads to the red carpet to meet up with David Baddiel and Omid Djalili and delve into the contentious world of religious satire...

Film Review: The Infidel

David Baddiel's story of a Muslim man who discovers he is Jewish unfolds in a series of inventive, often very funny encounters, says Philip French.

Film Review: The Infidel

It wasn't that long ago that atheists were confident they had won the battle against religion. It's a mark of just how much things have changed that atheists once again feel moved to go on the attack. First came the men of reason - Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens - and now along come the comics, armed with the weapons of ridicule. On stage, we've already had Jihad! The Musical, and, coming soon to a cinema near you is Chris Morris's much-anticipated Four Lions. Both are controversial works that set out to show the funny side of religious fundamentalism.

Mahmud Nasir (Omid Djalili) is not dissimilar to many middle-aged Muslim minicab drivers in London: he observes his faith (to an extent), he drinks (a bit) and he gets angry with his black taxi-driving rivals. But upon clearing out his dead mother's house, he finds his birth certificate, and realises his whole life - or at least the one he tries his best to lead - is a lie. He was actually born Jewish and named Solly Shimshillewitz. Torn between two faiths, he enlists a black cabbie rival to help him 'learn to be Jewish', putting his son's engagement to the stepdaughter of an extremist Muslim cleric in severe jeopardy in the process.

This David Baddiel-scripted film (Directed by Josh Appignanesi) features many of the usual bit-part British comic actors and lots of very Baddiel jokes, only a few of which (such as a recurring motif about how annoying it is when people do 'air quotes') feel fresher than a bunch of Mary Whitehouse Experience outtakes rewritten for grown-ups.

Aside from the moments when it seems like North-East London's below-par answer to a Woody Allen movie, The Infidel tackles an ambitious and sensitive subject in an impressively balanced manner, yet without ever managing to feel like it needs to exist.

Omid Djalili interview

Omid Djalili, the British-Iranian actor/stand-up, talks about his new film, The Infidel, which helped him towards overcoming an identity crisis.

Video: Baddiel film tackles race and religion

Comedian and scriptwriter David Baddiel's new film The Infidel tackles both race and religion.

The comedy stars Omid Djallili as a Muslim man called Mahmud who discovers that not only was he adopted, but he was also born Jewish.

The Infidel review

This witty-but-flawed movie is pulled off with a lightness of touch that only the most narrow-minded could possibly object to. But there are missteps along the way.

Video interview: David Baddiel

David Baddiel chats about Omid Djalili's "big funny face", his hatred for finger "quoting" and not setting out to be blasphemous

Which is the funniest religion?

Omid Djalili and David Baddiel talk to Dominic Cavendish about their daring new comedy 'The Infidel'.

A funny five minutes with David Baddiel

The funny man, 45, on comedy porn, sharing a flat (and dead frogs) with Frank Skinner, Omid Djalili's moment with a banana and his comic heroes.