"My Name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist"

"My name is Khan,

and I am not a terrorist. "

Rizwan Khan

***

"Remember one thing, son. 
There are only two kinds of people in this world. 
Good people who do good deeds. 
And bad people who do bad. 
That's the only difference in human beings. 
There's no other difference. 
Understood? 
What did you understand? 
Tell me. Tell me."

Razvia Khan

"Good people. 
Bad people. 
No other difference."

Rizwan Khan

***

It is the "Bollywood Week" at the cinema "Gaumont Montparnasse" in Paris. During a whole week, they broadcast a different famous Bollywood movie every day at 8p.m.

I did not know "My name is Khan". 

I had just read on the internet that it was the story of "an Indian who is imprisoned in the US after 9.11 because he is suspected to be a terrorist (while he only is a Muslim)".

I feared a violent, complicated movie. 

Then I remerbered that it was starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. 

And most of all that it had been written, shot and directed by Karan Johan

So I went to watch it. 

Alone. 

And I was right. 

I needed to get a BIG Indian slap yesterday and I got it. 

First of all I want to say here that ALL the summaries I read on the internet are  FALSE !!!

Razvia Khan is a Muslim Indian, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism). After he grew up in India, he moves to San Francisco, where his younger brother created a cosmetic firm.

I won't tell you the whole story, except that the "jail and trial scene" lasts 10 minutes. 

For many good reasons you MUST watch this movie : 

1. People who suffer from the Asperger Syndrome can be integrated to the society and have a normal life.  Plus they are smart and not stupid.

2. September, 11th terror changed everything in the daily life of the Muslims who live in the US. They started to be stigmatized, suspected to be dangerous people or terrorists and even considered as non-American citizens. This is very well said in the movie : "The occidental world is divided between before and after Jesus Christ was born. In our modern world there is a before and an after September, 11th."

3. People with different religions can marry and live in peace. In this movie, he is a Muslim and she is an Hindu. They love each other and respect the religion of the other. That's all. What a great example of tolerance and love !

4. Shah Rukh Khan is REALLY talented, since he is able to act complex characters, far from "everlasting, usual" Indian Bollywood lovers.

5. Kajol perfectly embodies her character, an attentive mother and loving woman. For two hours she makes us forget that she acted other famous movie characters too. 

5. Karan Johar, today's one of the best Indian film director, keeps maturing his scripts and filming technics. 10 years after his 1rst masterpiece ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", he has been able to adapt to more "occidental" standards (shorter movies, US-European film locations, integration of real occidental characters, no Hindi dance-song sequences). Plus he succeeded in keeping what makes the strength of his movies : very well-written scripts, close-to-perfection-aesthetically-speaking photography, full with tolerance-respect-humanity morals, humour, credible love stories. Karan Johar's ability to adapt and mature his stories are stunning.

6. For those who have already watched Bollywoods, the cinematographic couple Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol is more than ever credible than.

Even if the end is far-fetched,
Even if you are not used to watching Bollywood movies,
Even if you don't know the actors or the director,
"My name is Khan" deserves to be watched.

So, Enjoy !


International trailer (English) :

(c) 2010 - "My Name is Khan" by Karan Johar 

(c) Dharma Productions - 20th Century Fox

Indian trailer (with English subtitles) :

(c) 2010 - "My Name is Khan" by Karan Johar 

(c) Dharma Productions - 20th Century Fox