How Good is it:
‘My Name is Khan’ is not a film on ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’ and how do people behave when they have this disorder. Pretty much alike, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, the film has its protagonist with a disorder, but the story is much more than that. At the core of its heart, ‘My Name is Khan’ is a film about Rizvan Khan as he tries to find his identity in a society where ‘Islam’ meant ‘Terrorism’ post 9/11 and his resolve to proof this wrong. This is exactly why he keeps on reiterating that ‘My Name is Khan and I am not a Terrorist’ throughout the film. The biggest strength of the film is its script written by Shibani Bhatija who infuses all the characters with a lot of heart. It’s a fairly simple story but Shibani Bhatija’s story and screenplay along with Karan Johar’s direction pull off a coup of sorts in pitching the film on such a grand scale.
Shahrukh Khan in his new avatar as the desi ‘Forest Gump’ is incredible. The character consistency he has shown in the film is so remarkable that it’s hard not to fall in love with his character. He hates the colour -‘Yellow’, has an aversion to loud noises, new people and places and believes the mantra dictated by his mother when he was young. At no point in the film does the ‘Rahul’ in Shahrukh Khan emerge and it’s surprising how his body language itself adds a lot more to his characterization. Notice that, he rarely ever makes an eye-contact with people around, it’s hard to say if he has any feelings other than being the ‘Uttam Purush’ all the time. His on screen chemistry with Kajol hasn’t diminished a bit and the duo strike the chord right from the first scene they meet in the film. Some of the film’s finest moments are in the first half where the budding love between the two writes a new chapter in Hindi Cinema without all the cheesiness. Be it Rizvan’s Khan’s introduction speech to Mandira or their wedding night, the spark of DDLJ is still simmering. Kajol excels in her role as Mandira who falls for the utter sincerity and honesty of Rizvan Khan. Her struggle with her new ‘Islam’ identity and how she deals with it probably is the turning point of the film where it takes on a larger than life stance. The rest of cast deliver credible performances and each one of them leave a good impression, if only the casting team had found a better ‘Obama’!
Of course, the film isn’t perfect. It takes the easy route to address the identity crisis caused by 9/11 and how people have dealt with it. If I may add, the film takes a politically correct stance on the issue and addresses the problem from a third person’s point of view which talks about ‘Crimes against humanity’. The only film till date which has come close to perfection in this aspect is ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ and rest of the films have been trying hard to match the maturity with which the identity crisis has been addressed in ‘Khuda Ke Liye’. It’s too lengthy and drags in parts, but then everything is done with a good intent. The film also effectively manipulates the audience to show how Rizvan Khan has made an impact, but all’s well that ends well.
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What is it about :
Shahrukh Khan stars as Rizvan Khan, who suffers from ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’. However, his disorder doesn’t become an obstacle to his intelligence although it does leave him lonely. His mother teaches him that there are only kinds of people in the world, Good and Bad which he imbibes in his way of life. He goes to US for a better life and it’s here that he meets Mandira (Kajol) and her son Sameer. Within no time, sparks start flying around and the duo get married. Their world changes post 9/11 and few years later an incident shatters their life beyond repair. What’s the incident? Why did Rizvan have to embark on an extra-ordinary journey? That forms the rest of this story told in a compellingly melodramatic Karan Johar’s style.
