Saturday, February 13, 2010

MY NAME IS KHAN-REVIEW

1 comments
THERAPEUTIC MISADVENTURE

Review By Nara:

Shahrukh khan shines in a dull yet earnest and sincere message movie that tries too hard to be subtle but turns out to be unabashedly emotional at all the wrong moments..

My name is khan is a movie oozing with sincerity and made with a lot of good intention..but good intentions don't always translate into good cinema..

My name is khan, directed by karan johar (known for his larger than life filmmaking k3g and kkhh) is the story of Rizwan Khan an autistic(specifically Aspergers syndrome) who finds it hard to adjust socially..he doesn't like being touched or hugged..he is scared of meeting new people going to crowded places..loud noises and even the colour Yellow..but in no way is he crazy infact he is self confessedly very smart..he is a handy man,salesman and indefatigably chaser after factoids..
The movie begins with the FBI questioning Rizwan at an airport with Rizwan famous replying "My name is khan and i am not a terrorist"..A line is used repeatedly and austistically? with various implications and infact forming the crux of the film..soon Johar shifts to flashback mode and we are taken to riot hit mumbai 1983 where rizwan's mother (played exceptionally by Zarina wahab) explains to khan that the world is filled with just two kinds of ppl good ppl and bad ppl..this forms the simplistic ideology behind Khan's simple thinking..and this constitutes one of the finest moments of the film..we are also introduced to zaqir khan's younger brother who is lucky unlike rizwan because he can express those emotions..Johar is completely at home while dealing with emotions and realtionships..the scene then shifts to San Francisco..where Khan relocates after the death of his mother and this is where the problem with the movie begins..Enter Mandira(kajol in full form) who owns a beauty parlour in downtown sanfrancisco and the romance between Khan and mandira blossoms..it is not the trademark Johar style romance that we have come to associate with Johar .over the years, ala extravagant locales and designer clothes..A lot of it appears forced and fabricated but the leads with their sparkling chemistry more than compensate for it..There are many endearing moments thanks to the inspiring performance by SRK..watch him in the scene where he blushes in response to kajols proposal or the scene where the two decide what they should get down doing post marriage..the duo are in peak form..but they are overshadowed by karan johar's new found love for subtlety..maybe he wants to grow up again(after failing miserably in KANK)..how we wish he could stay with the kuch kuch hota hai kind of candy floss..sometimes some people shldnt grow up..
The tone shifts from romance to drama post 9/11 attacks and their relationship with the rest of the society becomes strained..i mite add also with the rest of the audience..What could have been a subtle change turns into an over the top at your face moment when Khan visits the funeral of his neighbour sporting a taqiya and reciting the verses from the quran..A scene handled more deftly is one where Khan's brother explains to his wife (when she is not allowed to wear the hijaab)that "allah samajh jaayenge yeh log nahi samjenge"..How i wish the film had more of such fine pieces of writing..The scene showing the death of a young boy is also moving but the impact dosen't last..

And by the time we reach the second half the writing goes into irreparable self destruct mode. Following a personal tragedy we have khan traversing the entire distance of the united states to meet the President and to tell him(what else) that name is khan and he is not a terrorist..Khan then shifts into superman-meets forrest gump mode and goes about shouting down fundamentalist leaders handing them over to the fbi..getting arrested by the fbi himself and (gasp hold your breath!)singing We Shall Over Come at a church..the writing is incredibly contrived; and the screenplay writer
Shibani Bhatija packs in so much that khans belaboured journey becomes an ordeal particularly for the viewers..the puerility climbs a peak where in the pre-climax scene khan single handedly oversees a rescue operation in a flood.. IF you aren't convinced by now or didn't know it already,the scene shows how the good peaople are really good.

In all this mayhem, shah rukh khan holds his own and turns out an extra-ordinary performance..he is sincere ,earnest and so restrained that you see an all new dimension to india's biggest star that I thought couldn't exist..He has paid great attention to detail transforming himself to Rizwan ,to make the character likeable so musch so you end up rooting for him something you usualyy don't do for SRK's acting...Shahrukh is the best thing about my name is khan..watch him in that scene where he talks about personal loss not getting overtly emotional yet conveying the agony and the pain..But scenes such as these are too few and far between because the makers try so hard to move you that after a point it feels like someone is poking you goading you to get those lacrimal glands loose..Kajol is brilliant in a somewhat limited role..largely because the whole of the second half is about khan..Her portrayal of her character going through the entire spectrum of emotions from being hyper to sensitively portraying a sense of loss to becoming the gently supportive mrs khan..she goes about her work with professional ease and the vibrant energy that we associate with her..A special mention about tanmay chadda who plays the younger khan...Shankar ehsaan loy's score is good with noor-e -khudha standing out.. Ravi.k.chandhran's slick cinematography is something u will take home with you along with S.R.K'S performance ofcourse

The major problem with mnik lies with Johar's handling of the subject..yes it does make a few urgent and relevant points about religious tolerance equality and peace but it goes about doing so in a very simplistic, convenient and loud manner that it makes the whole subject look frivolous..The movie sounds so much like a moral science lesson that the entertainment quotient goes right out of the window..and who says you cant make message films that entertain..ask another star with the same sir name..he'll tell u..Despite the wonderful personal effort by SRK you don't feel Khan's pain along with him because Johar ensures you are not meant to.He has more relevant issues like religious tolerance and world peace that he wants to throw at your face in order to enlighten you..The suffering of rizwan,well that can take a back seat because the film maker wants to show that he has matured and has thought up a process to save the world..Maybe he should just go back to the drawing board and let emotions like pathos,sense of loss and love do the talking,rather than attach them to preachy moral tags and lofty ideologies of communal amity and tolerance.Maybe Karan Johar just KHAN'T


My take on it:

well the review above is apt. The movie is a bold attempt.. The main character being an autist was a masterstroke(well otherwise the movie would have fallen flat). Its a great movie to watch...but then just a one times...it shows those glimpses of brilliance...but also ends up flat at times...a definte theatre one though
my rating :3.5-4/5

p.s.....that rating may look less to some....or high to some...but believe me...srk and kajol's acting alone is enough to justify that
Adsesnse

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