Omid Djalili plays Mahmud, a not-very-observant Muslim who discovers his birth parents were Jewish in The Infidel. (Slingshot Studios)

When British comedians Omid Djalili and David Baddiel sought financing for their film The Infidel, about a religious identity crisis, funders were quick to back away.

Djalili, a British-Iranian standup comedian, plays Mahmud, a not-very-observant Muslim living in London who discovers that he was adopted and his birth parents are Jewish.

Djalili, who has played the Muslim heavy in films such as The World is Not Enough and Gladiator, was raised in the Baha'i faith, and fellow comedian Baddiel is Jewish.

He told Q, CBC's cultural affairs show, that he understood why producers were skittish about The Infidel.

British actor Omid Djalili, left, poses with writer David Baddiel at the world premiere of the film The Infidel April 8 in London. (Reuters)

"I think that people think that wherever there is a sensitivity you should shy away from it, whereas we both are the kind of comedians who think that … in a more mature society the first thing you should do is probably find the humour in it," Djalili said in an interview Friday.

Eventually, the pair were able to raise enough financing independently to make the comedy.

Djalili's Mahmud is investigating his parentage to help his son win the hand of the daughter of a conservative Muslim man. While most Muslims in films now are portrayed as either terrorists or very devout, Mahmud is not very knowledgeable about his own faith, he said.

"Most Muslims would [think] that if their genetic code made them Jewish, it doesn't make a difference — if he was a responsible, deep Muslim, that's what he would understand. But he's one of those Muslims who doesn't understand himself and just reacts in very strong way," Djalili said.

Issues of race and identity are important for many people living in secular societies, including Djalili himself. He said it's important to examine them with a light touch.

He emphasizes the film has no huge underlying message — instead it tries to poke fun at the underlying ignorance that is the basis of religious intolerance.

"Whatever way you see it, people do have a go at your ethnicity. It seems to be natural," Djalili said, adding "Just call me an idiot, why do you have to use an ethnic label?"

He and Baddiel were encouraged when they screened the film for a mixed social club of Muslims and Jews and saw everyone in the audience laughing.

And they've had strong sales of the film in the Middle East, though it didn't get past the censorship board in Dubai.

A distributor in conservative Iran, where Djalili has a big YouTube following, bought it, but Israel is so far a holdout.

"Israel thought that the film wasn't quite Jewish enough … I think they wanted my character to become Jewish and that's not the message of the movie. They're coming around to it, there is now one distributor who's now interested," he said.

The Infidel opens Friday in Canada.