Embodiment of boldness:: New Age Xtra

This movie review was originally published in New Age Xtra on February 26, 2010

Embodiment of boldness

‘My name is Khan’ is yet another movie that should be added to the list of unique movies like ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Rann’, ‘Krissh’ and others for setting new benchmarks in the Bollywood scene.

Prior to watching this, most may feel that this is Shahrukh’s version of playing a ‘not-so-normal’ character already done by Amitabh in ‘Paa’, Hrithik in ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ and ‘Krissh’, Ajay Devgan and others in a number of movies. Others may even think that this is a rip-off from Dustin Hoffman’s ‘The Rain man’, Sean Penn’s ‘I am Sam’ or even Tom Hanks’ ‘Forrest Gump.

However, ‘My name is Khan’ addresses a number of issues, being as accurate about the world events that influence the story, and as such goes beyond most of all these prior performances by other actors.

The protagonist, Rezwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan), is a Muslim man, afflicted with Asperger syndrome from birth.

Being a rather pious Muslim, fate takes him from India to USA. While clinging onto the beliefs taught by his mother and all that he has learnt from the Quran, he looks at the world from a different perspective.

He meets a single mother (Kajol) and after some hurdle gets married to her, living happily with her new wife and her son in a part of San Francisco.  However, their life is turned upside down with the ensuing of 9/11.

Although the incidents of hate crimes portrayed, as a consequence of 9/11, may seem a little too much, such occurrences were experienced by most Muslims and even Sikhs, who were living in USA back then.

These incidents and Khan’s mental status show how the prevalent American mindset was towards ‘people who were different’. In some ways, the story slaps the face of the Bush administration which had used ‘Fear’ to control the Americans using the ‘media’ to vilify the Muslims.

Despite all adversities, Khan ultimately reaches his target through the path of love and understanding.

The actors have all played their roles commendably while the music also touches the heart.

Also, the portion, during the end of the film, will help you realise that the story was being developed even as the shooting had began.

The movie finally ends with the underlying statement that people should not be regarded on their religious background or on the way they look or think. ‘There are only two kinds of people in the world,’ as believed by Rezwan Khan. ‘There are only good people and bad people. There is no other segregation.’

-Syed Tashfin Chowdhury