CINEMATICAL REVIEW: My Name is Khan

Want to see a real romance that makes you laugh and cry and root for the heroes and is beautifully shot and full of all the things that Hollywood feel-good films lack? My Name is Khan has got your number.

Rizvan Khan, played by the handsome Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is a good-hearted Muslim man from India who has Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum. Early on, during the Hindu-Muslim riots, his mom teaches him there's no difference between people - only good people who do good things and bad people who do bad things. This is probably a specific lesson that would go over some Westerners' heads (like, say, my own) and later comes into play after he moves to America and falls in love with a bubbly and beautiful Hindu hairdresser named Mandira (Kajol).

Their courtship is awkward, lovely, and funny, as she tests him to show her something in San Francisco that she's never seen before. If he wins, she'll marry him; when he finally does, she asks him to marry her. Love conquers all, for them; neither she nor her son, Sameer, even question Khan's Asperger's symptoms, and, in fact, one of the few missteps in the movie are when it's is played for laughs. Otherwise, Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal of Asperger's - from his avoidance of eye contact, reluctance to touch or be touched, repetition of phrases, and fear of crowds and loud noises - seems fairly accurate to this untrained eye. His Khan is an understated Rain Man, mostly minus the savant.
Even when his brother cuts him off for marrying a Hindu woman, his sister-in-law (an elegant psychology professor who wears a hijab and is the first to explain Asperger's to Khan) comes to make peace at the wedding with a beautiful cake. Things are fairly rosy for the new family.

But this is before 9/11 and before a Muslim last name, a Muslim husband, or a Muslim step-dad means too much to world at large. After 9/11, of course, this all changes, but what's perhaps most interesting is the insight My Name is Khan offers into the tension between people of South Asian descent of different religions. In fact, the BBC reported Friday, "more than 1,800 people have been arrested in Mumbai for vandalizing cinemas advertising Shahrukh Khan's latest movie, My Name Is Khan. This weekend, 21,000 special police will protect cinemagoers, and there will be security checks at the box office. 'This is not Shahrukh [sic], but the Khan in him that's saying all this,' said a spokesman for the Shiv Sena, the militant Hindu nationalist organization in Maharashtra which is behind the trouble. The Sena told Khan – an Indian Muslim - to move to Pakistan, and issued a threat: 'There will be dire consequences if Shahrukh [sic] defies the orders of the Sena chief.'"

9/11 tears Mandira and Khan apart. The name of the movie is taken from his repeated phrase, "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist." Mandira, in a gesture of sheer frustration, tells him to go tell the president. So Khan puts on his sneakers and goes to do just that.

The movie wanders more towards Forrest Gump territory in this second half as Khan's attempts to meet the President are thwarted at every turn. However, while Khan does serve up increasingly out-there plot twists, the political subtext and Khan's own insight helps the movie avoid the treacly, manipulative sentimentality of Gump. It must be noted, though, that there are parallels, such as Khan's resourceful and wise mother, the wide shots of Khan traveling down empty roads in the middle of the US, and Khan's bonding with an African-American family in the deep South. The movie makes a huge misstep when "Mama Jenny" and, as Khan calls him, "Funny hair Joel" are painted with such broad, empty strokes, as are the other African-American people in their small town.

Khan builds to such a crescendo that by the time I left the theater 2 hours and 35 minutes later, not counting the intermission, I was exhausted by the whirlwind of events and emotions. I left drained, slightly tear-stained, but happy. Seeing it at a theater that specializes in Asian and Indian cinema, filled with families and couples whose elasticities and religions were as varied as those onscreen, added to the pleasure of watching such a hopeful, lovely movie. It was a pleasure and a departure from my typical movie-going experience.

Incidentally, My Name is Khan opened this weekend to the tune of $1.86M as of this writing on just 120 screens in the US. I hope more people take the time to watch this movie that left me feeling good long after I left the theater.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER REVIEW: My Name Is Khan

Bottom Line: Shah Rukh Khan comes to America (although in a Bollywood film) and shows why he is an Indian mega-star.

The thing about some Bollywood superstars is that they are actually fine actors as well as charismatic performers. So it's not surprising in "My Name Is Khan" to see Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan -- he's light-years beyond a mere superstar in Hindi cinema's cosmology -- challenge himself to expand his acting range and possibly his international fan base. In convincing fashion, he plays an Indian in America battling the double whammy of living with Asperger's Syndrome and as a Muslim man in the post-9/11 world.

The film is getting released in India, North America and many other territories Feb. 12, but its North American distributor, Fox Searchlight, adopted the puzzling strategy of playing the film out of competition here at the Berlinale but refusing to screen it to U.S. press ahead of its release. With Shah Rukh Khan as your star, you can get away with this since worldwide grosses for his films tend toward the stratosphere. But it's a pity that the non-Indian press are discouraged from shouting out the news about a film that delves compellingly into Americans' anti-Muslim hysteria.

True, the film veers into melodrama and contrivances in the second half. Yet its director/co-writer Karan Johar is, here and in other films, trying to bring fresh ideas to Hindi commercial cinema with a little less masala and a dash more reality to its fantasy stories.

Johar, Khan and co-star Kajol, who all worked on Johar's smash hit "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" (1998), reunite on this much more serious project that finds Khan as a man with a disability who nevertheless wins people over through a loving personality that peeks through his emotional shortcomings. For the first half, the film plays a dicey game of skirting sentimentality without ever quite crossing that line into pure hokum.

Khan is Rizvan Khan, who is on the road in a quest to meet the president of the U.S. to deliver this message: "My Name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist." In flashbacks beginning with his early life in India, where a doting mother helped nurture and give strength to a child (played well by Tanay Chheda) suffering from a form of autism, the film recounts its hero's journey up to this point.

A younger brother, who never felt as appreciated since he was a normal boy, emigrated to San Francisco and achieved success. Upon their mother's death, his older brother joins him but the two never really adjust to one another.

Against all odds -- which more or less is the theme of most Bollywood stories -- he woos and wins the love of a beautiful single mom (Kajol). Only one problem: She is Hindu. The brother cuts him off, but Khan basks in the love of his new bride and her young son.

Then Sept. 11 happens. The film pictures Americans as unable to tell the differences between Muslims and Hindus or Arabs and Indians. Which is not exactly wrong, when it comes to certain redneck elements, but locating these hatreds in left-leaning San Francisco demonstrates a certain lack of comprehension on the filmmakers' part as well. Perhaps they just liked the idea of cable cars in their movie.

So a somewhat predictable tragedy tears the new family apart. Worse, Khan's wife blames him of all people, an exasperating plot turn that lessens her as a character and makes no sense at any level.

The movie then become a pilgrimage of redemption where the hero must fulfill his wife's demand to tell the country and the U.S. president that even though his name is Muslim he is not a terrorist. This has a certain Capra-esque quality so it might have worked, but the linchpin to his redemption seems to be a poor rural and black county set in the Deep South that defies any credibility whatsoever. These are also the only sequences that clearly take place on a soundstage set. Everything here screams: Fake!

Nevertheless, the film and especially Khan hold on to their integrity through conviction and warmheartedness. Without any gimmickry, Khan captures the nervous ticks and emotional barriers that an afflicted individual must battle against daily. It's a showy performance but in the right kind of way.

The production seems to grow bigger as the movie progresses as Khan's odyssey must include a Guantanamo-like imprisonment and a hurricane. Even Barack Obama (Christopher B. Duncan) puts in an appearance.

This is a movie not built for subtlety, but it does tackle a subject American movies have mostly avoided -- that of racial profiling and the plight of Muslim-Americans. It also allows Shah Rukh Khan to display his talent to an even wider audience. It's well worth the 162-minute journey.

Rating: 4.5/5

GLAMSHAM REVIEW: My Name Is Khan

Director: Karan Johar
Music: Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy
Lyrics: Niranjan Iyengar
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Parvin Dabbas, Jimmy Shergill and Zarina Wahab

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder, and people with it therefore show significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.

The exact cause is unknown, although research supports the likelihood of a genetic basis; brain imaging techniques have not identified a clear common pathology. There is no single treatment, and the effectiveness of particular interventions is supported by only limited data. Intervention is aimed at improving symptoms and function. The mainstay of management is behavioral therapy, focusing on specific deficits to address poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness.
(source: wikipedia)

Viewed on the basis of the evaluation of Asperger Syndrome, Karan Johar has hit the nail on the head. He has handled Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) with maturity. To top it, he has used the intelligence of Rizvan to home in on a very touchy topic and has succeeded. Islam is not about Jihad, it is about love and Rizvan in his own locked-in world unlocks the hate within from those around him. Many with Asperger Syndrome also get violent, but Rizvan freaks when he sees the colour yellow and cannot stand loud noise.

Shah Rukh Khan has done a complete study of this syndrome and has delivered a terrific performance from frame one. Kajol, I dare say, is the Queen of Bollywood. All this talk of this heroine being the No.1 or No 2 is just mumbo jumbo when you see this talent explode on screen. Just natural. Pure bliss. We need to see more of you on screen, Kajol.

Karan Johar is known for his tearjerkers and he sticks to his format this time, too. But he also addresses an important issue, one that is tearing the world apart.

His handling of scenes is very mature and real. The interaction between young Rizvan with his mother (Zarina Wahab) and his younger brother Zakir is poignant. Zarina's obsessive focus on Rizwan drives Zakir to the wall. The crack is easy to see; his hatred for his brother easy to accept. Rizvan, in one touching moment tells his brother that at least he is able to express his sadness through tears... as for him, it's a frustrating process all bottled within.

Wanting to live his mother's dreams to lead a normal life, Rizvan leaves for America to live with his brother and wife. There, he assists his brother in selling his beauty products and meets Mandira (Kajol), already married with a six-year-old son. Their romance, which leads to marriage, is very well captured. She is a Hindu. He a Muslim. She adopts his surname and then 9/11 happens which radically changes the way the world sees Muslims, especially Americans. Tragedy strikes this happy family and Rizvan is on a journey travelling across the US to meet the president to tell him, 'My name is Khan, and I'm not a terrorist.' It is this obsessive or repetitive routine, which is the central theme of the film. He does meet the President and manages to change the views of many along the way.

Karan and SRK have done what they had to for the viewers and peace at large; but in the real world, can love actually be given a chance? A beautiful movie with a beautiful message not to forget powerful performances from the jodi that stormed the screens13 years ago with DDLJ.

Jimmy Sheirgill is once again proving to be a powerhouse performer. Soniya Jehan and Tannay Cheddha as the young Rizvan are fabulous. Zarina Wahab captivates with her emotions for both her sons. Yuvaan Makaar as Kajol's son is a confident actor.

Go watch it. Karan has crafted a beautiful film, while SRK has authored a marketing strategy that will be hard for even Aamir Khan to beat!

Rating - 3.5/5

UK PREMIERE REVIEW: My Name Is Khan

Although the Indian release of My Name is Khan has been marred by protest over actor Shah Rukh Khan’s comments about the non-inclusion of Pakistani cricket players in the Indian premier league, at the first UK screening of the film, the mood was one of excited anticipation. Enlivened fans and film critics were in attendance at the Wednesday night advance showing at Cineworld in London’s Leicester Square. Expectations are high for the Hindi film, particularly after last week’s global publicity tour of the MNIK team, which saw Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in New York ringing the bell for the NASDAQ, followed by promotional events in London including SRK’s appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

The tagline of the story “My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist” lets you know from the outset that Karan Johar’s cinematic vision has moved on from his earlier oeuvre of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham, receiving applause from the London audience the first time the line is delivered. The film starts with s flashback, looking at a young Rizwan Khan, a Muslim with Apserger’s syndrome, played initially by child actor Tanay Chheda; who you will be familiar with from Slumdog Millionaire. The plot shift locations from Mumbai to San Franciso and as an adult, we see Rizwan (Khan) marry Hindu single mother Mandira (Kajol). Hindi film fans obsess over the screen pairing between Shah Rukh and Kajol, and luckily here they do not disappoint. The two may be older and wiser than their 1995 outing Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, but the chemistry is still very much there, and their performances emit the gravitas and sensitivity required for this type of cinema. Johar has gone on record to say this film charters newfound territory, and in the first half of the movie his maturity shines through, with a focus on the narrative and a simple telling of the story. Gone are the show-stopping numbers with a cast of a hundred Russian dancers, and choreographed North Indian wedding scenes. Fans of Johar, however, need not fear, as the director still inserts his characteristic film tropes: the park bench, the sweeping skyline and a saccharine let’s-fall-in-love song picturisation. It is not until an hour into proceedings that the plot shifts genre from love story to terrorism, as the characters are impacted by the new world order following the 9/11 attacks. Like recent Bollywood releases New York and Kurbaan, the impact of terrorism on Indian Muslims is an element that is addressed You may recall Khan himself was detained for several hours arriving at Newark airport, facing ‘Muslim while flying’ discrimination by US customs officials.

Post interval, a tragic incident separates Rizwan and Mandira. Here sit up for some of the finest acting on display by Kajol, and be ready to have your heart pulled by her natural, raw emoting of grief. The narrative jumps again into becoming the all American road movie, Rizwan travelling across the epic barren landscape of the US in a quest to meet the President. In a first for Indian cinema, the film contains not one but two American presidents, as Barack Obama and George W. Bush lookalikes both make an appearance. The second half of the film suffers from the curse of Bollywood, in that a potential cinematic work of genius developing before the interval, is let down by a number of scenes that drag in comparison. Also, you may have a problem with the extended separation of Rizwan and Mandira, which breaks up the pairing of SRK and Kajol - the latter missing in action for long segments of the second half. Luckily, all is well by the end, as Rizwan comes through a battle of personal demons and social evils to be reunited with Mandira. Although, almost as if compensating for the hero’s lack of heroic behaviour in the first portion, Johar has Khan single handedly saving a hurricane ravaged town from impending doom. This I found all a bit Hollywood for my Bollywood sensibilities, and distracting from the major themes of the story – love, terrorism and Asperger’s syndrome. My Name is Khan develops into an epic film. It is not faultless by any stretch, but will have you emoting with cinematic euphoria one minute and pulling out your tissues in desperation the next.

My Name is Khan releases 12th February.

(Steven Baker is a Hindi film journalist and post graduate in Indian Cinema)

BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA REVIEW: My Name Is Khan

MY NAME IS KHAN makes two strong statements...

• The first: B.C. and A.D. are designations used to label years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. There's a third designation now - 9/11. Post September 11, the world stands divided. Terrorist outfits continue to strike in the name of religion and the common man, not even remotely associated with these groups, is bearing the brunt. The world is not a safe place anymore.
  
  
• The second statement: There're two sets of people in this world - the good and the bad. No matter how strong the evil forces are, good always triumphs.

MY NAME IS KHAN mirrors the era we live in. Not a day goes by when you haven't heard/read/watched news of terror attacks and innocents being killed. We live in turbulent times. Also, the movie states - and states very strongly, without mincing words - Not all Muslims are terrorists.

Karan Johar's cinema got more real from KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA onwards. In MY NAME IS KHAN, the storyteller attempts to make a social statement and succeeds completely. At the same time, it takes no sides. If the protagonist says 'My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist', it also exposes those who misadvise the youth with inflammatory and rabble-rousing speeches.

Karan's take on the issue deserves the highest praise, since a subject like this is difficult to attempt. Final word? MY NAME IS KHAN is Karan, SRK and Kajol's best outing to date. Do I need to add anything more?

Rizvan Khan [Shah Rukh Khan moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother [Jimmy Shergill] and sister-in-law [Sonya Jehan]. Rizvan, who has Asperger's syndrome, falls in love with Mandira [Kajol]. Despite protests from his brother, they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change.

When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.

Let me alert you. The story unfolds feverishly from the very start itself. So if you miss a scene or two, chances are you would've missed some vital links in the story. The fact is, there's too much happening in the first half. Although the narrative tends to get leisurely-paced at times, the wheels continue to move from one episode to another.

A number of sequences are endearing. For instance, the romance between SRK and Kajol is subtle, yet charming. But it's SRK's relationship with Kajol and their kid that's one of the best parts of the movie. Your heart bleeds when an accident occurs and their lives are torn apart. Kajol's outburst - first, when her son meets with a catastrophe and second, when she confronts SRK - are truly shattering.

MY NAME IS KHAN's strength lies in the fact that you root for Khan all through. At the same time, you are weighed down when he's in a vulnerable situation, especially when he's labelled a terrorist and thrown behind bars. You don't realize it, but the fact is that you, as a spectator, have already got entwined in Rizvan and Mandira's lives.

There's a slight hitch in the second hour, when SRK returns to Georgia to save a hurricane-ravaged hamlet. Also, the media exercise tends to add to the length of the film. Nonetheless, it's a minor hiccup that doesn't rob the film of its punch.

There's just one word to illustrate Karan's direction - exemplary. One of the finest storytellers of our generation, he deserves brownie points for deviating from 'Karan Johar brand of cinema' and attempting a film that knocks on your heart and stimulates your mind. With MY NAME IS KHAN, Karan takes rapid strides as a storyteller.

Shibani Bathija's screenplay is truly arresting. Shibani and Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are noteworthy and many a times, applaud-worthy. Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography is awe-inspiring. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music gels well with the nature of the film.

When a film stars two of the finest talents of the country, you expect nothing but the best. SRK, well, how does one describe his performance? To state that this is his best work so far would be cutting short the praise he truly deserves. In fact, no amount of praise can do sufficient justice to his portrayal of Rizvan Khan, who has Asperger's syndrome. His latest work is several notches above anything he has done before. The only compliment that I can think of is, SRK has a new screen-name now. Raj is passe, Rizvan it is.

Kajol is pure dynamite and casting her for this character was the most appropriate decision. No other actress could've matched SRK in histrionics the way Kajol has. In fact, SRK and Kajol compliment each other wonderfully well and this film only proves it yet again. It's a powerhouse performance from this supremely talented actress.

The film boasts of a number of capable actors, but the ones who leave a rock-solid impact are - in this order - Zarina Wahab, Sonya Jehan, Jimmy Shergill, Arjun Mathur, Parvin Dabas and Arif Zakaria. Sugandha Garg is confident. Navneet Nishan supports well. Vinay Pathak leaves a mark in a brief role. Tanay Chheda [young SRK] and Yuvaan Makaar [SRK and Kajol's son Sameer] are excellent. The American actors, especially the kid who plays Sameer's friend, deserves mention.

On the whole, MY NAME IS KHAN is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like MY NAME IS KHAN is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don't miss this one!

Rating: 4.5/5

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol – The wait is over Finally….Want to know more?

The wait is over finally…and we get to see the first look of My Name Is Khan on 16th December at 10pm. The fans were awestruck at the promotion of the film was missing and there was no sight of My Name Is Khan for long. At last they can sigh of relief on 16th December as the promotional trailors would be aired on television.

Till now, all we know is that the movie is directed by Karan Johan and the star cast has Shahrukh Khan and Kajol as the lead roles with other bollywood stars like Jimmy Shergill and Zarina Wahab.The film is about Rizwan Khan who suffers from Asperger syndrome, a form of autism that affects social interaction abilities. His disorder to interact is mistaken for suspicious behavior post 9/11 and he gets arrested by the LA police.The film is set against the backdrop of post 9/11 occurrences and the impacts of 9/11 on the Indian Muslims staying in US.

Apart from these few know that the marketing and distribution of the film would be done by Fox Star while Fox Searchlight Pictures will release the film in the US on 12th February 2010.

Want to know more? Tune your television set to Star channels on 16th December at 10pm and watch the first My Name Is Khan promos airing…

´My Name Is Khan´:Jimmy Shergill Replaces Aamir & Joins Shah Rukh!

As is known, some cast and crew members of Karan Johar's upcoming venture with Shah Rukh Khan, 'My Name Is Khan, were denied US visa. One of the cast member was Aamir Bashir. As per sources he has now been replaced in film by actor Jimmy Shergill.

The actor is all set to leave for US on January 20 and join the ongoing shooting in Los Angeles.

Incidentally, this will be Jimmy's second film with King Khan after Aditya Chopra's 'Mohabbatein'.