My Name Is Khan

Okay this review might not go down well for some of you because it's a Hindi film Not much of a choice for me as the wifey will drag me down to the cinema for a Shah Rukh Khan movie on the first opening day, so I watch this movie like a couple of week before. Anyway I'm taking this on a more objective review for what the film tried to represent rather than it's just a nother typical Hindi movie.

My Name is Khan is its context is long overdue, maybe it's off by 5 years or so. Why? It's about Muslims, especially those in America, what's life was all about before and after the 9/11 incident and that's why this film is off, if it was made maybe two or three years after the 9/11 incident the impact would be far more greater and current. The main character in this film is Rizwan Khan, born and bred in India but he was born with a defect known as Asperger's Syndrom, a disorder which makes it difficult for people to interact socially. School was not easy for the young Rizwan as he was constantly bully but with all defect in a human being, he is also a brillant and intelleigent scholar, especially so he is good with his hands and with anything mechanical.

Early part of the film, shows his handicapped as well his brillance and the extra attention that his mother showers him which led to a typical sibling rivarly with his younger brother., Zakir As the two boys grow up, they also grew apart and the younger brother decided to move to America and strike out on his own. Come to a point, Zakir decided to bring their mother to America to enjoy the good life, but the mother would not come without Rizwan and despite the sibling rivalry, Zakir made a decision to sponsor both mother and older brother to America. Unfortunately the mother passed away before Zakir could bring them over to America. However Zakir still brings Rizwan to America and to start a new life. Zakir manage to get Rizwan a job as a salesman selling herbal cosmetic products in his company and that is where Rizwan met and fall in love with a Hindu divorcee, Mandira.

Life was sweet for Rizwan and Mandira and her young son, Sam from a previous marriage. Sam adapt well to Rizwan with all his short comings, goes to school and play soccer with his good pal and nexr door neighbor Reese. All good things come to an end with 9/11. Reese father who is a journalist got killed in an assignment in Iraq, which Reese took it personally on Sam whom by now has taken on the Khan name. The hatred escalated whereby Asian in general that are similar to the Arabs in skin tone are taken to task. Sam was not exempted from this persecution, even Reese turn on him and eventually in a senseless incident, Sam was beaten to death by his schoolmates.

The film took a turn at a mother's anguish and the anger towards faith, in oneof Mandira's outburst, she tells Rizwan to go and tell the President of the United States that he is not a terrorist. That's where the final chapter of this film sees Rizwan embark on his journey to literally do what his wife ask him to say to the President.

Overall this theme is nothing new, the final part is a little bit like Forest Gump however I have to give credit to the writers as well as the director, Karan Johar for making his film as "Islamically" correct. Forget about the story but read it between the lines and you will appreciate this film. There are scenes which are simply gems, for instance when Rizwan approach Zakir and tells him that he is marrying Mandira, Zakir was against the marriage because a Muslim cannot marry a Hindu without the Hindu converting to Islam. He boycotted the wedding and sever his ties with his brother. Then there is the classic scene where almost everyone that's dark skin was attacked in America to include the Sikh wearing turban. Classic, just goes to show that people react simply to what they see and hear but do not use their mind to reason and the fear they incite led to Sikhs abandoning their turban and the Muslim women shedding their hijab to avoid persecution.

Another scene I like is when Rizwan stopped at a Mosque for his prayer, so happen a group of men were listening to Faisal Rehman rhetoric inciting them to jihad. Most would have walk away, but not Rizwan. Rizwan is not a saint for sure, for a man that marrys a Hindu is not one to preach about religion but the rhetoric goes against what his mother taught him about what is good and what is bad especially in Islam where the devout are never incite to violence in the name of religion. He shows his anger and frustration and cite the incident of the Prophet Abraham's faith and compassion when God ask him to scarifice his son Ismael and Satan disguise as a stranger tried to make Abraham go against God's command. This led to some of the listeners to take a step backward and question Faisal's intention. Rizwan left the mosque and called up the FBI to report Faisal's activities which led to Faisal's timely arrest.

This is a 3 hour film, for the non-Hindi movie fan, this will be a brave decision should you decide to watch his movie. I for one find that most Hindi/Indian movie when they make a film on Islam, most of the time they got it wrong. Bollywood have the tendency that love is far more greater than any religion, be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or Buddisim and they portray it such that it piss me off, but that how they practise love and religion in India, this film is an exceptional although it's still about love that overcome everything, but this one do not put aside religious belief.

whoa bro...ur review also like the 3hrs movie eh...hehehhee....niwae did any of u bros know that shahrukh khan acted in soft porn in his early years of acting.....??...heheheh

Dunno about that bro... obviously no one wants to watch as a soft porn actor that's whay I guess he move on to main stream movie...