Bollywood drama based on a true story. Shahrukh Khan stars as Rizwan Khan, a Muslim from Mumbai with Asperger's syndrome. Rizwan moves to San Francisco after meeting and marrying Hindu single mother Mandira (Kajol). After the events of 9/11, Rizwan is detained at an airport by the authorities, who mistake his disorder for suspicious behaviour. Following his arrest, he meets Radha (Sheetal Menon), a therapist who helps him to find a way out of the nightmare that engulfs him.
| Starring: |
Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Christopher B. Duncan, Steffany Huckaby, Carl Marino, Katie a. Keane, Douglas Tait, Shane Harper, Jimmy Shergill, Tanay Chheda, Mel Fair, Parvin Dabas, Sheetal Menon |
| Director: |
Karan Johar |
| Run time: |
161 minutes |
| Languages: |
Hindi |
| Distributor: |
|
MyMovies
How does one explain the popularity of Shahrukh Khan to a Western audience? Imagine a hybrid of Tom Cruise and ...
How does one explain the popularity of Shahrukh Khan to a Western audience? Imagine a hybrid of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt with the universal likeability of Will Smith and the award-winning credibility of Sean Penn and you will get an idea of just how highly the man considered as the world's most successful movie star is rated. So, as you might imagine, when Shahrukh appears in a film it's pretty big news.In My Name Is Khan, the actor plays Rizvan Khan, an Indian Muslim with Asperger's Syndrome who moves to San Francisco after the death of his mother. Initially finding it difficult to become accustomed to his new surroundings, Rizvan meets and falls in love with the confident and sassy Mandira (Kajol). Despite his brother's threat to sever ties with him for marrying a Hindu woman, Rizvan follows his heart and marries Mandira. The two enjoy a blissful marriage with Rizvan relishing the role of father to Mandira's young son from her first marriage. However, when the 9/11 terrorist attacks strike and the Western world's view of Islam undergoes a transformation, Rizvan and Mandira's world is destroyed by tragedy. Unable to comfort his wife or make sense of what has happened, Rizvan embarks on a journey across America to win back her love.Touching, beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, My Name Is Khan is the perfect introduction to Shahrukh Khan for Western audiences. His performance as Rizvan is one of his most challenging and best to date and acts as a showcase for his talent. Kajol's skill as an actress means that she is able to match him in each of their scenes together and the relationship between their characters is one of the most enduring and entertaining aspects of the film. Where the film suffers though is in its attempts to go straight for the heartstrings on every occasion leading to too many saccharine scenes and clichés. Yet, the strength of Khan and Kajol's performances largely compensates for these shortcomings to create a memorable and heartfelt drama.
Read full review
Press Association
Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) has Asperger syndrome and is often presumed to be stupid because of his condition. In ...
Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) has Asperger syndrome and is often presumed to be stupid because of his condition. In fact, Rizvan is highly intelligent - he just has difficulty processing simple human emotions. He ventures all the way from India to stay with his brother and sister-in-law in San Francisco, where he falls in love with the beautiful Mandira (Kajol). They decide to marry, despite protests from the two families, and Rizvan and Mandira start a small business together. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, American attitudes towards Muslims change radically and Mandira and Rizvan are touched by tragedy, forcing them to split. Rizvan does not understand why he has been abandoned by his one true love, and he embarks on a momentous journey across America to win her back.
Read full review