"My Name is Khan" Movie Review
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 Read more → edutainment, guest posts, movies, reviews, videos, writers In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful | Peace be with you
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ Peace be with you السلام عليكم
Guest post by YMR from {Beyond the Horizon} blog.
"My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist ".
For people who are unfamiliar, Khan is a common Muslim surname in the Indian subcontinent and among Indian-origin people around the world.
Seeing a Shahrukh Khan film for the first time, I was all fresh and open-minded about the movie, inclined to believe that I would be more objective and less likely to be biased in favor of the film out of love for SRK, the actor. And, I didn't return disappointed.
The theme of the movie, much to my liking, was the story of Rizwan Khan, with Asperger's syndrome who faces discrimination because of his Muslim name and strange ways due to his mild autism. This, combined with the funny irony - with SRK facing issues at the Newark airport immigration because his name was “Khan" in consonance with the story he was trying to film in the US, another Muslim actor being refused a visa by the US - and all the resulting hype surrounding the movie, meant I was waiting restlessly for the release of the movie, and saw its trailer more than 10 times.
The movie starts off wonderfully, depicting airport security scenes and the homeland security checking Khan, followed by flash back to old bollywood style strong emotions and music, depicting Rizwan Khan's childhood with his mother, who teaches him that there are only two kinds of people in the world - those who are good, and those who are bad. Khan remembers this lesson right into his adulthood and applies this principle in whatever he does. The scene shifts to San Francisco when he goes to the US to live with his brother. He is scared of noise, new people, new places, and all things yellow. He is very simpleminded and straightforward in his thoughts. He does not like hugs and can't understand unsaid emotions or express them. As far as acting as a mild autistic is concerned, SRK absolutely nails it.
The romance starts with Mandira soon, played by Kajol who does tend to get too loud and hyper during this part of the movie (!)
Post 9/11, Muslims in the US are subjected to discrimination, violence and hatred, and Rizwan Khan's family is no exception. Being stereotyped as terrorist, with great repercussions on his family, he embarks on a journey across America, trying to meet the president of the United States to tell him that his name is Khan, and he is not a terrorist. This is where some of the most powerful scenes are in the movie. Two of them are worth mentioning. When the bus stops over at an inn during a bus journey, Rizwan Khan realizes it’s time for Salaah (obligatory prayer) and readies himself to pray right there near the bus. Another Muslim co-passenger feels embarrassed about this, and tries to reason with him that one has to see the place and time before praying. Rizwan Khan says that Salaah is offered by intention, not by seeing anything else, and proceeds to pray in full public view. People are amused and some take pictures of a prostrating Khan even as the Muslim couple who were co-passengers get nervous and uncomfortable seeing this happen.
Another hard-hitting scene was when his brother's wife starts wearing the Hijaab in public again, declaring that Hijaab is not just a religious symbol, but her existential identity.
There are some silly scenes in the movie, especially the ones showing the floods in Georgia. The end of the movie came a cropper when everything is solved very conveniently in contrast to the realism director Karan Johar depicted for the most part earlier. But, the movie shows it is cool to be a Muslim and have a Muslim name, that it is cool to pray Salaah when it is time for it whatever be the scenario, that it is cool to wear the Hijaab and be proud of it. It also shows the world how innocent Muslims felt and experienced when the whole community was stereotyped due to actions of a few, and that Muslims aren't terrorists. It shows the excesses of the security apparatus in the country against innocent Muslims in their zeal to protect the country. The dislike for Bush as president and the excitement about
Obama is made quite apparent.
All of this, plus the stupendous performance by SRK showing asperger's syndrome make me recommend this as a must watch movie, but as a watch-only-once movie.
To Muxlim fans: watch My Name is Khan Trailer {here}
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