Iran criticised for depicting Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in upcoming film

The film titled 'Mohammed, Messenger of God' shows the back of his head but does not show his face

The most expensive film in Iranian history has come under fire even before its release for depicting the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), UK’s Daily Mail reported.

The 190-minute multimillion-dollar biopic focuses on the Holy Prophet's childhood. Mohammed, Messenger of God, shows the back of his head but does not show his face.

Read: Iran to release film on life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Egypt has already called for the film to be banned, claiming it debases the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Meanwhile, Qatar has announced that it will shoot another film on the Prophet's life.

The film appears to have gained the support of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's current supreme leader, who, according to The Guardian, attended an inauguration of the film's set in 2012.

Read: British Muslims protest Charlie Hebdo Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) cartoons

“Many relay their messages to the world through cinema and pictures,” the film's director Majid Majidi said. “We are ready to co-operate to produce any movies to introduce Mohammed to the world.”

“We are an Islamic country, we know the related culture and we have capabilities for such production,” he added.

This is only the second big-budget feature made about the Holy Prophet (pbuh) after Moustapha Akkad’s 1976 The Message, which Majidi has said failed to do justice to Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life by showing “only Jihad and war” and also because “the image of Islam in that film is the image of a sword”.