The agony and the ecstasy of an epic saga

 

 

My Name Is Khan” makes two strong statements...

n The first: B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (after death) are designations used to label years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. There’s a third designation now - 9/11. Post September 11, the world stands divided. Terrorist outfits continue to strike in the name of religion and the common man, not even remotely associated with these groups, is bearing the brunt. The world is not a safe place anymore.

n The second statement: There’re two sets of people in this world - the good and the bad. No matter how strong the evil forces are, good always triumphs.

“My Name Is Khan” mirrors the era we live in. Not a day goes by when you haven’t heard/read/watched news of terror attacks and innocents being killed. We live in turbulent times. Also, the movie states - and states very strongly, without mincing words - Not all Muslims are terrorists. Karan Johar’s cinema got more real from “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna” onwards. In “My Name Is Khan”, the storyteller attempts to make a social statement and succeeds completely. At the same time, it takes no sides. If the protagonist says ‘My Name Is Khan and I am not a terrorist’, it also exposes those who misadvise the youth with inflammatory and rabble-rousing speeches. Karan’s take on the issue deserves the highest praise, since a subject like this is difficult to attempt.

There’s just one word to illustrate Karan’s direction - exemplary. One of the finest storytellers of our generation, he deserves brownie points for deviating from ‘Karan Johar brand of cinema’ and attempting a film that knocks on your heart and stimulates your mind. With “My Name Is Khan”, Karan takes rapid strides as a storyteller. Shibani Bathija’s screenplay is truly arresting. Shibani and Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are noteworthy and at times, applaud-worthy. Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is awe-inspiring. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music gels well with the nature of the film.

When a film stars two of the finest talents of the country, you expect nothing but the best. SRK, well, how does one describe his performance? To state that this is his best work so far would be cutting short the praise he truly deserves. In fact, no amount of praise can do sufficient justice to his portrayal of Rizvan Khan, who has Asperger’s syndrome. His latest work is several notches above anything he has done before. The only compliment that I can think of is, SRK has a new screen-name now. Raj is passe, Rizvan it is. Kajol is pure dynamite and casting her for this character was the most appropriate decision. No other actress could’ve matched SRK in histrionics the way Kajol has. In fact, SRK and Kajol compliment each other wonderfully well and this film only proves it yet again. It’s a powerhouse performance from this supremely talented actress.

The film boasts of a number of capable actors, but the ones who leave a rock-solid impact are - in this order - Zarina Wahab, Sonya Jehan, Jimmy Shergill, Arjun Mathur, Parvin Dabas and Arif Zakaria. Sugandha Garg is confident. Navneet Nishan supports well. Vinay Pathak leaves a mark in a brief role. Tanay Chheda (young SRK) and Yuvaan Makaar (SRK and Kajol’s son Sameer) are excellent. The American actors, especially the kid who plays Sameer’s friend, deserves mention.

On the whole, “My Name Is Khan” is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like “My Name Is Khan” is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don’t miss this one!