My Name is Khan (Karan Johar, 2010)
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first.
There are moments in My Name is Khan that are among the cheesiest, most painful to watch, most clichéd, unnecessary and unsubtle moments I have seen in any Hindi film to date. I had been warned by a friend about some “terrible supporting actors” and was prepared to overlook that – but the problem was deeper. It was the plot. Something that started out great ended up…bananas.
It’s not as simple as blaming it on the “Curse of the Second Half”, though it is true that the latter part of the film’s narrative is where it seems like director Karan Johar and writer Shibani Bhatija lost faith that the story they were telling was strong enough; or perhaps worse…they lost faith that the audience would be savvy enough to glean the political message they were trying to convey, without making it overtly political, without making it BIG and EPIC and UNSUBTLE, involving stereotypical “Bollywood” plot-twists in a film, that, up to that point, had felt like a refreshing departure from the improbable.
But I don’t really want to focus on what I think was a misstep on the part of the film-makers. I think that My Name Is Khan was an ambitious film for KJo to make. It’s all too easy to stick to what is safe and comfortable; I think this was a step outside of a comfort zone. I haven’t yet seen a Western-made mainstream film tackling issues of religion and identity in the aftermath of 9/11 that has approached the thoughtfulness and sensitivity that MNIK shows in places. With ambition there are bound to be mistakes made because of being in untested territory. So I’m going to cut KJo a lot of slack, because when it comes down to it, I am thankful he made this film, flawed as it is.
More importantly, there are moments in My Name is Khan that are among the most touching, achingly beautiful moments I have seen in any Hindi film to date. And the strength of these moments, and of the film’s message overall, more than make up for the flaws. I’m going to join the chorus of MNIK supporters on the net and echo what they are saying: this is a film that MUST be seen. I knew, of course, going into the cinema, about the Shiv Sena controversy leading up to the release; after seeing the film, I am sadder than ever at the state of the world we live in, that a film with a simple, beautiful message, has had such a ‘welcome’.
There are only two types of people in the world: good people and bad people. Regardless of the bits of this movie that you and I like or dislike, what needs to be said, and known, is that the people who made My Name Is Khan….they are good people.
Shahrukh Is Love 
Agreed! While flawed in many ways it is the good parts, the touching moments and the overall message that trumps the bad into something I was able to grant leniency for.I agree that there was a sensitivity that was hoped for, and while not always effective or on point, it was the main goal. When anything new is attempted there has to be some kinks that just needed a little ironing out.
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Since it was my first time watching a movie in a cinema, I did wonder whether some of my sensory-overload moments were caused by my shock at seeing Shah Rukh right in my face like.. 50+ times bigger than I was used to. I did what I always do when his films get a bit too cheesy for me to take, I zoomed out and just concentrate on him :PI love Rizwan Khan! Wish I could watch him 50 times more, but enuff cinema-going for me. I want my rewindable DVD~~Ami
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I'm seeing this on friday, and am a bit afraid of the overload of cheeze, but who am i to talk as i sat through the sometimes unbelievable 3 idiots! I hope its not as awful and ignorant and maddening as people have made it out, as i really do want to appreciate an earnest product that Kjo has made and that SRK has acted so understatedly in! Eek, all in all I think i'll be sucked in by the sheer pyar i have for SRK!
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@Erin Georgia: I read your review – suffice to say I am jealous that you saw it TWICE! I am gonna have to wait for the dvd to see it again, and I think to review it properly – I need a rewatch to gather my scattered thoughts.@Ami – it was my first time seeing a Hindi film in a cinema, and seeing SRK on the big screen was AWESOME! Seriously, I think SRK a Rizwan is one of the best roles I have seen him in to date. Astonishing acting. I kept expecting a sly smirk or some dimply cheekiness to sneak through, but he was so restrained and consistent in his character. And the character is so heartbreakingly real, omg.@Rum: Don't be afraid! There was really only one scene that literally made me snort out loud because of the cheese factor, the rest of the questionable bits were easy enough to overlook or I could let myself get sucked in by them. I think what I ailed to emphasise in my 'review' is that I really did enjoy the film, all the way through. It's just on reflection afterwards that I was like “Oh yeah, that was kind of bad…” about some parts.
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Ugh ignore all my typos. I can't type for peanuts on my laptop.
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its really nice post thanks for sharing..i find it..i sat through the sometimes unbelievable 3 idiots! I hope its not as awful and ignorant and maddening as people have made it out, as i really do want to appreciate an earnest product that Kjo has made and that SRK has acted so understatedly in! Eek, all in all I think i'll be sucked in by the sheer pyar i have for SRK!
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I'm going to make an extra effort to see this in the cinemas Ness, you've sold it, even on its mixed charms
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@Clobee Oooh yes Chlo, do see it, I wanna know what you think!
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I agree, a shorter, tighter second half would have really helped it but as you say, there are many moments which are so well done, it makes up for this. My fave scene has to be the mosque scene, so well written and performed! Am going to watch it again so that I can enjoy it without reviewing it! 🙂
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The more I think about this film, the more confused I get. I think, as you do, that they were trying to do something really noble with it, but its flaws are not just cheesy and fairly predictably filmi but also actually detrimental to the message – and hypocritical to boot. I really thought the film was trying to tell us not to rest in our ignorance about one another, yet it WALLOWED in ignorance (or deliberate oversimplification and misrepresentation, which would be worse). Sometimes the film went too far (e.g. some Americans reacting very badly to a Muslim being at 9/11 vigil seems fairly realistic to me, unfortunately, but a child being beaten to death on a soccer field is filmi in a way that didn't really fit) and sometimes it just chucked in hearty doses of things that were irrelevant and, frankly, stupid (the depiction of Wilhelmina, Georgia and its residents). Woe! If only they had stuck to the love story.
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Agreed Beth. My 'proper' in depth review is going to have to wait until the DVD so I can see the film again, I think because of precisely the murky confusion of message you so eloquently unpacked! I totally agree with you re: the handling of the child's death – if it was necessary to drive Rizwan's journey forward (and really – killing a child is the only thing they could think of?) then there are def. more realistic ways of handling it. The parts of the film I LIKED were the parts that were the small interpersonal moments, the little hopeful things like the dissolution and rebuilding of the relationship with his brother, (cheesy – maybe, but not in an OMG THAT IS RIDICULOUSLY EVEN FOR KJO way), the assertion of Rizwan's faith post 9/11 as contrasted against those who misinterpret the teachings of Islam, and yes, despite myself, I loved SRK and Kajol (and I'm not a weird uber fan of that jodi).
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Oh and the hurricane and We Shall Overcome = my LEAST FAVOURITE PARTS. I actually snorted with laughte at one point because I was like “Is this even relevant anymore?”
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