As far as I know it’s the first feature length movie depicting the circumstances surrounding the 7/7 bombings and the aftermath of it, where Muslims yet again are depicted as terrorists.
Shoot on Sight is a story based on the London Police ordered to shoot suspected terrorists after the July 7th 2005 London bombings, that resulted in racial profiling Muslims as potential terrorists. The film unfolds the life of Tariq Ali (Naseerudin Shah), a Muslim police officer as Scotland Yard.
Ali originally from Lahore has built his career to become the first Muslim Commander in the Police force and given the responsibility to investigate the police shooting of a suspected Muslim terrorist on the London Underground. His loyalties are questioned by both his superiors in the police and his fellow Muslims.
The film also points to the existence of a terrorist cell operating in his own backyard.
Personally the movie fails to provide a purpose perhaps because the story was not consistent with the first scene of the killing of the suspected Muslim terrorist on the tube but instead pointed to Tariq Ali and his family. Some of the extra scenes of Tariq and his family were unnecessary, the movie lacked a purpose and the script was lost with the unrealistic scenes which attempted to provide a typical Pakistani/Muslim family. It could have redeemed itself if the script concentrated on the killing of the suspected Muslim terrorist instead of Tariq Ali and his life but alas. Sadie Frost for what its worth only appears on the screen a couple of times. Laila Rouass and Greta Scacchi failed to redeem the movie.
The film was not the calibre of big screen. Perhaps it should have been better suited as an ITV drama and have let the Producers of Spooks have a go at handling the sensitive topic. So there you go, nothing appealing or educational about the film, even if it did have potential.
