My Name is Khan debuted in Abu Dhabi UAE on 10 February 2010.[7] It released globally in theaters on 12 February 2010.[1] It will also be screened as part of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's Official Selection that same month.[8] In the months leading up to its release, the film has also been involved in some controversy related to international airport security and Indian politics.
Plot
Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a disorder which makes it difficult for people to interact socially, and comes to live with his younger brother (Jimmy Shergill) in the US after their mother dies.Here, he meets hairstylist Mandira (Kajol), a free-spirited woman who lives with her six-year old son, Sam, from a failed marriage. While Rizvan falls in love with Mandira, she too grows fond of the good-natured Rizvan. An unlikely romance later, Mandira gets married to Rizvan.
The perfect existence of the Khans gets disrupted, howevrer, after the September 11 attack on the twin towers in New York City. Sam gets involved in a tussle with a few college ruffians who beat him up because his second name is Khan.
Sam dies of his injuries and a shattered Mandira blames Rizvan for his death. "He died only because his name was Khan,” yells Mandira and asks Rizvan to leave her. Rizvan tries to assure Mandira that things would get better, but she tells him that as long as he remains a Khan, he would be looked upon as a terrorist, even if he persuaded the US president otherwise.
Rizvan sets out on a journey that takes him from one US state to another, following the movements of the president for whom he has a message: “My name is Khan, and I’m not a terrorist.”
Themes
In an August 2009 interview, Shah Rukh Khan stated that My Name Is Khan is "not about terrorism, or 9/11. It’s about a relationship between two people, between an individual and the State, and between an individual and the country. In short, there the three important components: love story, Islam and a mild form of autism."[9]In an earlier July 2009 interview, Khan also noted that the film focuses on themes concerning "the relationship between the Western world and Islam and how that has changed over the past few years." He describes the film as about "the journey of one family and how it changes because of 9/11" and suggests "we touch upon that in a very unbiased and educated way."[10] In another early interview, he also stated that, "it’s not about a disabled man’s fight against disability. It’s a disabled man’s fight against the disability that exists in the world — terrorism, hatred, fighting ... My Name is Khan is also about Islam and the way the world looks at Islam but we are not taking any sides. We are only trying to say that there are only good people and bad people. There are no good Hindus, bad Hindus, good Christians, bad Christians. Either you are a good person or a bad person. Religion is not the criterion, humanity is."[11]
In late 2008, journalist Madhureeta Mukherjee (referring to the post - 2008 Mumbai attacks atmosphere in India) suggested in an interview with Karan Johar that, "My Name Is Khan starts at a time when Hindus and Muslims in India have united like never before." In response, Johar stated: "I think it’s an exceptionally relevant time, as the unity of our nation is of paramount importance, and I am very happy to witness such a movement in front of my eyes. We are all coming together to fight for a common cause – called humanity. Everyone knows that terrorism has no religion and it will never have a religion. As a filmmaker, I believe that I have a social responsibility and I promise to fulfill that."[12]
Production
Pre-production and casting
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were cast in the lead roles, reuniting them after many years.[13] Kareena Kapoor[14] The film faced a temporary setback during late December when actor Aamir Bashir was denied a visa to the United States.[15] He was eventually replaced by Jimmy Shergill as Shahrukh Khan's younger brother.[16] Although Shabana Azmi was originally cast as Shah Rukh Khan's mother[17] she left the production after Shahrukh Khan's shoulder injury delayed the filming schedule.[11][18] She was replaced in the role by Zarina Wahab.[19] Tanay Chheda will portray Shah Rukh Khan's character as a child living in the Borivali section of Mumbai.[20] Chheda was chosen because he resembles Shah Rukh Khan and because he is recognizable to an international audience after portraying "middle Jamal" in Slumdog Millionaire.[21] American actor Christopher B. Duncan was chosen to portray President Barack Obama.[22][23] Duncan is known for his interpretation of Obama on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[24] was also considered for Kajol's role, but Kajol was Johar's first choice.Johar also asked Khan to co-produce the film, as "we were both passionate about the subject, we said why not co-produce the film? We’ve known each other so long ... that this new initiative is just an extension of our emotions. Besides, I can never make a film without Shah Rukh. He is a big part of me and my family. He’s like the older brother I never had. I love SRK as a unit — that includes his wife, children, sister and his in-laws."[25]
Filming and post-production
Production of the film is taking place in India and the United States. Filming began in Los Angeles during December 2008[11][26] and one of the locations used was UCLA.[27] Johar next continued production in Mumbai during April 2009.[21] During June 2009, production moved to San Francisco[28] and the Bay Area, where they filmed a key scene at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.[29]Johar had difficulties finding a mosque to film in. According to actor Arif Zakaria, "I don't know if Karan tried to get permission in Mumbai. But we were to shoot in a mosque in Los Angeles and hard as Karan tried to convince the authorities that his film would not propagate anti-social values, he was denied permission [...] We finally shot the two-day scene with Shah Rukh Khan on the set of a mosque constructed at The Club in Andheri."[30]
After filming in Los Angeles was completed, Johar stated that, "in all my 11 years as a filmmaker I’ve never felt the experience to be so different. The content of My Name Is Khan is diametrically opposite to whatever I’ve done in the past."[16] He described working with both Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol again as "magic. They build an inexplicable energy on screen." Johar also stated that he was "blown away by Shah Rukh who had done monumental research on his autistic character in the film. I was zapped by how much he knew about the subject."[16]
Release
Pre-release publicity and distribution
On 7 August 2009, Karan Johar signed a deal for 1 billion INR with Fox Searchlight Pictures, who will market and distribute it in India (FOXSTAR) and worldwide (Fox Searchlight).[4][31] Shah Rukh Khan was later asked in a December 2009 interview if he feels that My Name Is Khan is "a more international film which should be seen by all and will have a far reaching influence." Khan responded that:- I have never been a strong advocate for global cinema because I don't think our films turn the tide around though my directors and distributors feel otherwise. Having said that, I will add that MNIK is a very special topic about humanity in the garb of a Muslim character [...] The film is made on a large canvas and made larger with Fox coming on board. The subject material is adapted in terms of humanity in a very entertaining way. And with Karan, the best filmmaker in India today directing the film and Fox distributing it -- the message of love, the way it has been shot internationally and the way of releasing it, might have all the possibilities of an international release. It's going to be released in a way no Hindi film has been released internationally before with mega prints and the trailer releasing with Avatar in a first of its kind.[32]
Critical reception
My Name Is Khan was well received by a number of critics. Subhash K. Jha (film critic and author of The Essential Guide to Bollywood) gave My Name Is Khan a rave review, arguing that Rizwan Khan "repairs almost anything, including irreparably damaged relationships. But this film about damaged lives needs no repairing. My Name Is Khan is a flawless work, as perfect in content, tone and treatment as any film can get [...] My Name Is Khan is no ordinary film. Long after the wary-of-physical-touch Rizwan has finally shaken hands with President Obama, long after the heat and dust of racial and communal hatred has settled down the core of humanism that the film secretes stays with you. Yes, we finally know what they mean by a feelgood film." [34] Nikhat Kazmi of the Times of India gave it five stars, describing My Name Is Khan as, "indubitably one of the most meaningful and moving films to be rolled out from the Bollywood mills in recent times."[35] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave My Name Is Khan four and a half out of five stars and argues: "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 [...] 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 complement each other wonderfully well and this film only proves it yet again. It's a powerhouse performance from this supremely talented actress." [36] Rachel Saltz of The New York Times states: "Khan is one of a handful of Hindi films (New York, Kurbaan) about Indians living in a paranoid, post-9/11 America, and there’s something fascinating about looking at this country through a Bollywood lens, even when the story is a kind of fairy tale. (Most interesting here is the link made between black Americans and Indians, especially Muslims.) Skillfully directed by Karan Johar and with an evocative score by Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy, Khan[37] Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter argues that, "This is a movie not built for subtlety, but it does tackle a subject American movies have mostly avoided -- that of racial profiling and the plight of Muslim-Americans. It also allows Shah Rukh Khan to display his talent to an even wider audience. It's well worth the 162-minute journey."[38] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times describes the film as "a potent, energetic heart-tugger and Khan and Kajol, major Bollywood stars, are highly appealing and equal to the demand of their emotion-charged roles."[39] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave My Name Is Khan three and a half out of five stars, arguing that "the film shamelessly tugs at your heartstrings and on more than one occasion wallops you to weep. Aided by solid camerawork, tight editing and a layered story, Johar crafts an engaging, stirring saga that is earnest and noble. With this message movie in the mainstream format, the director takes a step in the right direction. "[40] jerks tears with ease, while teaching lessons about Islam and tolerance."High profile screenings
My Name Is Khan will be screened as part of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's Official Selection in February 2010.[8]Controversies
Airport security
Khan has stated that due to his last name and religion, he (like Rizwan Khan) is frequently subject to excess security checks at airports. On 14 August 2009, Khan arrived in the United States in order to both promote My Name Is Khan and to participate in various South Asian-related events around the country (including Indian Independence Day). Upon arriving at Newark Airport in New Jersey, he was pulled aside by Immigration officers after his name popped up on their computers,[44] questioned for over an hour (Khan claims it was at least two hours) about the nature of his visit, and was later released. According to the Times Online, "In Delhi, Timothy J. Roemer, the American Ambassador to India, said that the embassy was trying to 'ascertain the facts of the case.' He added: 'Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a welcome guest in the United States.'"[45][46]Khan said he was told that it was because "they said my name was common to some name that popped up on the computer."[47][48] The officials asked if he could provide names of people to vouch for him. Khan noted that he "had all the documents; they were asking me where I was going to be staying. I gave the name of FOX people with whom I had finalised a deal a few days ago as contacts." However because they wanted to check his luggage which the airline had lost, Khan said that he "was taken to a room where many people were awaiting a secondary check on visa, most were Asians. In fact many officers were reluctantly vouching for me, some people were asking for autographs and a Pakistani fan even said he knew who I was. But the officers said it was procedure and kept taking numbers from me."[47][49]
While he was not allowed to use his own phone, Khan was permitted one phone call.[45] He was thus released after officials from the Indian Consulate intervened. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel stated that the event will be further explored with U.S. officials.[48] According to the BBC, "Elmer Camacho, a spokesman for the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, said the questioning was part of the agency's routine process to screen foreign travellers."[50] When later asked during an interview whether he was angry, Khan responded that,
"I did feel bad for a lot of people in that room, I know because I had an escort and someone would recognise me, I will get out. Others may face more trouble ... I have extra security because of my name. I can handle this but when you have someone as respectable as an ex-president getting frisked, I am nobody" (in reference to the frisking of President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam earlier in the summer).[47]Khan also stated that, "I think it is a procedure that needs to be followed. But it is an unfortunate procedure." When asked if he would demand an apology, Khan replied that he would not.[51]
The director of My Name Is Khan, Karan Johar, was asked during an August, 2009 interview with MiD DAY if the event was a publicity stunt for the film. Johar denied that it was and responded: "It's upsetting because I got a text message this morning asking me if it was publicity plug for my movie. (Sarcastically) I mean, if I had that much power over the Homeland Security, why would I allow Shah Rukh to go through something like this? ... What's really shocking is the fact that when I was writing the film, I never thought that what happened to the protagonist of the film would happen to Shah Rukh."[52] During a January 2010 interview, Khan referred to the implication that the the event was a publicity stunt for the film as, "lowdown and cheap." [53] American actor, Christopher B. Duncan who portrays President Obama in My Name Is Khan, also commented on the incident stating: "I was very disappointed with what SRK experienced at the airport. We’re living in times where the levels of fear can sometimes spill over into paranoia. Here’s a man who is an international superstar, being detained for an excessive amount of time at an airport in the United States. It had to be very upsetting for him. Imagine Oprah (Winfrey) being detained at an airport in India for a long time, during a kind of interrogation." [23]
In addition, the incident sparked debate and commentary among Indian politicians, actors, and others.[54][55][56][57][58] It also led to demonstrations in India.[59] California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger later invited Khan to have dinner with him "in a bid to diffuse what has become a slight diplomatic row."[60]
In another event, on 5 February 2010, while promoting My Name Is Khan on the British talk show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Khan claimed that female security staff at Heathrow Airport in London had printed a naked image of him taken using the newly-installed body scanner that he was asked to go through. He said that he autographed it for them, though it is not clear if his comments were intended as a joke. A BAA spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport, however, has denied his claim. She claimed that it was“completely factually incorrect”, stressing that images captured using the equipment could not be stored or distributed in any form and that his claims "simply could not be true."[61]
The American radio host Alex Jones, however, disputed Heathrow Airport's claim, while pointing to an earlier statement by UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis the week before stating that scans are deleted "immediately"and staff carrying out the procedure are fully trained and supervised. The incident has become an issue tying in to current concerns over whether the body scanners violate rights to privacy and whether it can be abused by staff in order to distribute child pornography or naked pictures of famous people.[62] In relation to Khan's comments, The Economic Times has also raised concerns over the new body scanners and the possibilities of it being abused to distribute naked pictures of celebrities and famous people.[63] His comments have restarted the debate in Britain over whether the newly-introduced body scanners violate individual privacy.[64]
Shiv Sena controversy
After Shah Rukh Khan (who owns the Kolkata Knight Riders Cricket team) criticized the fact that members of the Pakistani Cricket Team were not bought by the clubs competing in the 2010 Indian Premier LeagueShiv Sena (a Hindu nationalist political party). There were consequent protests and demonstrations against him and demands that cinemas in India refuse to screen My Name Is Khan. Khan responded by stating, "What did I say that was wrong? All I said was that I wanted people to come to my country."[65] Khan continued by stating that: "I have no idea what I am supposed to apologise for [...] If I am in wrong I would like to apologise but someone needs to explain to me what is wrong."[66] He also stated that he does "not want any confrontation. I am trying to explain myself on every platform [...] I have not said anything that is anti-national." Khan also said that he was willing to meet with Bal Thackeray to discuss the issue.[67] (IPL), he was condemned by Initially, Shiv Sena rescinded its demand to block release of My Name Is Khan after it was announced that Khan would be allowed to release it "in as many theatres" as he would like to.[68] However, on Tuesday 10 January 2010 when theatres opened for advanced bookings, individuals disguised as "cinegoers" began to attack theatres and booking centres. Director Karan Johar and distributors met with police to ask for additional security.[69] In response, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan threatened to withdraw security cover for party leader Uddhav Thackeray.[70] Later, some security was withdrawn and the Maharashtra government has also "called in five battalions of the State Reserve Police Force to protect 63 cinemas in the city that will screen the film directed by Karan Johar from this Friday." There have been multiple arrests and leave of all police officials has been cancelled.[71] The distributor, Fox Star, stated that the fill will still be released on its scheduled opening date, 12 February.[72] It opened to full cinema houses in a number of places across India.
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