My Name is Khan- Shahrukh’s Yet Another Effort to Break Stereotype
Whether it is Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise in Hollywood, critics have always put superstars in the firing line by tagging them for their “low acting capabilities”. Closer to home in Bollywood, the same has been faced by King Khan repeatedly. But with a string of films like Swades, Chak De India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and now My Name is Khan, Shahrukh Khan is eager to prove his acting prowess. And for an iconic global superstar like Shahrukh it is not an easy task to break the mould and do things differently. But Shahrukh has been intelligent enough to co-produce and act in MNIK, a film which can be touted as the comeback of legendary Shahrukh-Kajol pair after nine years.
So what makes My Name is Khan, special? Let’s understand one thing at the outset; the movie is an out and out Shahrukh Khan film. And all the characters in the film including Kajol’s have been neatly woven around the protagonist. The storytelling has been pretty simple and linear and Karan Johar has consciously not tried to explore any alternative pattern, perhaps keeping in mind the mass market. My Name is Khan is the story of Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan) who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a rare form of autism where a person finds difficulty in communicating or expressing his or her feelings. But before we conclude anything, the movie isn’t anything about the disease. The movie is about a human being, who despite his handicap, wins over people because of his innate goodness.
It is about human relationships and it is about why it is required for us to view the world more pragmatically, without generalizing any particular religion for the misdeeds of some people. And that’s where Shahrukh Khan scores hands down for portrayal of a character which he deliberately underplays sans his trademark histrionics. And the movie’s most poignant moment perhaps came when a young Rizwan (played beautifully by Tanay Chedda of Tare Zamin Par and Slumdog Millionare fame) is told by his mother (Zarina Wahab, Karan Johar wins brownie points for casting her) that in this world there are only two sets of people – good or bad and it lies on an individual whether he picks up a lollypop or a baton. This simple, yet brilliant interpretation of life’s basic philosophy and even dilemma for some – has been presented commendably by Karan Johar. After his mother passes, Rizwan leaves for America to unite with his brother Zakir (Jimmy Shergill) and sister in law Haseena ((Sonya Jehan). While working as a salesman for Zakir, Rizwan meets Mandira (Kajol), a divorced Hindu hairdresser and mother of a young son. They fall in love and despite Zakir’s hostile attitude, get married and settle down in Banville, a fictional town. Both Mandira and her son Sameer adopts Rizwan’s surname. Then comes the 9/11 attack and Rizwan Khan’s family meets a tragic fate that creates a rift between Rizwan and Mandira. How Rizwan wins back the trust of his love and also sends out a strong message to the world is the story all about.
Acting apart, My Name is Khan scores highly on almost all the cinematic aspects. Cinematography by Ravi K Chandran is nothing less than outstanding. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have scored a pleasing music. Except a scene or two, Sharmishta Roy has kept up to her reputation of being one of the talented art directors in Bollywood. There are few moments in the films that could have been done away with. But overall Shibani Bhatija’s screenplay is extremely hearty and commendable. Even her dialogues, co-written with Niranjan Iyengar create some beautiful and touching moments in the films.
Karan Johar’s fourth directorial venture sees him as a much more mature director. He could have taken a bit of risk or two to break away convention. But he chose to travel the safer path. Still My Name is Khan can be very well touted as coming of age film for Karan Johar. Despite some of the minor flaws in the film, kudos to Karan Johar for presenting us a movie that has love as the central theme, albeit in a different format. But at the end it is Mr. Khan who makes the final statement and you wonder about the amazing similarity between the name of the movie and Shahrukh’s performance.
Azzaro Perfume – Discount Azzaro Perfumes
Solar Energy Grants – Solar Panels Quotations has up to date information about solar power grants. Save time and money by getting prices from our local vetted companies then getting a solar energy grant.
