The 9/11 incident has been a favourite within the global film circuit since its occurence and like many has also caught on directors in the Indian soil,most of all Karan Johar, who has bravely attempted to tell the story first through Kurbaan and next through his latest offering My Name is Khan. While Kurbaan failed to connect effectively, My Name is Khan Works and works well clearly because of two important people,who keep the movie engaging enough to have u weep time and again ,but in empathy. Shahrukh Khan , as Rizwan Khan and Kajol as Mandira, create magic on screen and its a delight to see this lovely pair come together after a long long time. So does, My Name is Khan, turn into a justification of sorts around the 9/11 attack. Fortunately not, far from it, the story focuses on Rizwan Khan , the protagonist who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and his simple aim to prove his love for Mandira through a simple message he wishes to reach out to the President of the United States-My name is Khan, Kha..from the epiglottis, I am not a terrorist. Empathizing with the situation, the audience is never at once left to feel as if they were forced to buy the character of Rizwan Khan, which is a fine piece of acting by Shah Rukh Khan. After a spate of roles that glorified the persona rather than the actor within, My Name is Khan comes as a welcome relief that for once has Khan shedding his starry imagery and get into the skin of a character that is affected by a genetic disorder. But that is where it ends. Khan just manages to scratch the surface of a patient suffering from Aspergers syndrome. Yet, this may be a minor flaw for the millions who are not aware about the eitology of the syndrome. Nevertheless, SRK plays a convincingly troubled character that is constantly seeking love and yet unable to emote, taking every utterence almost literally to the extent of travelling the breadth of United States,only for Mandira, a working single mother who could not have been played more convincingly by Kajol. Clearly, the off screen friendship shared by SRK and Kajol and their long association almost makes this pair act instinctively and lends the much desired personal touch in this choreographed three hour long caper. Brilliant camerawork by Ravi K Chandran and music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy topped with impactful dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar, reach out to you at a personal level almost pouring your hearts out for the character.
But then,when you just had forgotten,that this was a film directed by Karan Johar, you are painfully reminded of his presence behind the megaphone when you come back to the cliches such as a TV station glorifying Khan or people crowding around almost instantly in front of the jail to receive Khan, or the standard Hindi speech that the protagonist utters to a congregation of blacks in a church,and them seeming to understand every word uttered. The overdrive of emotional undercurrents, and Rizwan reaching out to save every other neighbour who handed him out a morsel of food,stretches the thing too far and so does meeting with the President.While the first half of the film offers some meat, towards the end of the second half you almost wish the movie would reach the finish goal soon.
Yet, the movie scores 3.5 out of 5 solely for the act by Shahrukh Khan and Kajol,. which could have become a life time performance and a movie for posterity, only if Karan had resisted the cliches that we have been constantly fed from this stable.
Do take a peek at this movie only for the magic between SRK and Kajol in a most unconventional manner. You wont be disappointed!!!!
Signing Off
Eashwar
But then,when you just had forgotten,that this was a film directed by Karan Johar, you are painfully reminded of his presence behind the megaphone when you come back to the cliches such as a TV station glorifying Khan or people crowding around almost instantly in front of the jail to receive Khan, or the standard Hindi speech that the protagonist utters to a congregation of blacks in a church,and them seeming to understand every word uttered. The overdrive of emotional undercurrents, and Rizwan reaching out to save every other neighbour who handed him out a morsel of food,stretches the thing too far and so does meeting with the President.While the first half of the film offers some meat, towards the end of the second half you almost wish the movie would reach the finish goal soon.
