"My Name Is Khan" – too slapdash

There have been lots of diatribes from right-wing Hindu conservatives against the screening of 'My Name Is Khan" in India; the film, especially its content, has been termed as the brainchild of pro-Pakistan elements in the realm of the nation. All these led to a curiosity among commoners and in the Indian metropolises copious numbers of Shahrukh Khan aficionados were found to rush to the theaters in close proximity to have a view. What has been the end result then? Before getting into the same it ought to be said had the conservatives perceived the film, there wouldn’t have been any such fuss. The film is not only too mediocre but fails to exhibit the basic thought also.

What went wrong then? Till now the majority of viewers have not been able to discern the real subject of the movie. What is it about? Is it a protest against terming Muslims as terrorists across the globe in general or is it a love story in an uncanny ambiance? It’s too confusing, if truth be told.

One can find all sorts of contentious subjects ranging from racial biases, aftermath of 9/11, war on terror and many other closet issues along with a love affair between Khan (Shahrukh Khan), a man afflicted with a type of autism and a single mother (Kajol). The main protagonist Khan (Shahrukh Khan) moves to US, falls in love and marries the heroine (even if we become able to assign such importance to her).

Their life changes after 9/11 incident in US and Khan gets vulnerable to racial attacks and also dressing downs and he sets off on the lookout for President Obama believing that, if he meets him, all will be fine. But the confusion starts from here. What’s after that and where does it go from there? There is no precise answer and we get confounded.

This is the crux of the film and perhaps director Karan Johar wanted to convey the same message. Let the audience remain befuddled! What’s the success then? Well, I have failed to get any even if the film is on a large scale and beautifully shot. Words like jihad, 9/11 and al Qaeda were used too frequently but still now none knows the necessity of bringing those to the fore. Surely those are without context. The film is undoubtedly too shoddy. Can I use the word slapdash?