A controversial film about the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, has opened in cinemas throughout the country.

The film tells the life history of Jinnah, who is revered in Pakistan as the man who gave the Muslims of the subcontinent a safe place to live.

Many Pakistanis object to the fact that the role of Jinnah, their Great Leader, is played by the British actor, Christopher Lee, who is best-known for his portrayal of the vampire, Dracula.

The director of the film said it was intended to give a human face to a man viewed by some non-Pakistanis as austere and inflexible. The BBC correspondent in Islamabad says the film is seen as Pakistan's response to the film "Gandhi" by the British director, Richard Attenborough, about the life of the Indian political and spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service