My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist.

My Name Is Khan
Karan Johar 2010 India
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Arjun Aujla, Jimmy Shergill, Parvin Dabas, Sonya Jehan, Katie A Keane, Kenton Duty, Jennifer Echols, Christopher B Duncan


At first look you'd be forgiven for thinking that Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan was a postmodern piece with its star Shah Rukh Khan playing a fictionalised version of himself, something in the vein of Jean-Claude Van Damme in JCVD or, to stay in Bollywood, Abhishek Bachchan in Bol Bachchan, but actually the film is entirely fictional and Khan is in what may be the best performed role of his entire career as a Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome living in America and facing misguided intolerance in the wake of 9/11. Considering that his acting often borders on overconfidence Khan may seem a strange choice but perhaps against the odds he's pitch-perfect, seizing the mannerisms and reactions of his character flawlessly even as other sections of the crew falter a little. For his part Johar approaches the mise-en-scene with a surprisingly unorthodox method, stripping back the traditional histrionics and removing the musical numbers altogether, instead aiming more for a Spielberg-style humanist epic layered with nuances and undertones. In fact in the whole two and three quarter hour production the closest he comes to convention are a couple of moments in slow-motion. He slips up slightly in a few late scenes that ironically feel heavy-handed but, despite the sprawling narrative and gorgeous images, he mostly remains true to his adopted style, not least in that a couple of scenes require a small amount of filmic licence to really accept. Acting wise Khan has able support from Kajol (naturally warm then convincingly stricken as his wife Mandira), Jimmy Shergill (nicely reserved in a complex part that could so easily have fallen into cliché as Khan's younger brother whose willingness to hide his religion and race stands at odds with his defiant stance on Khan's plan to marry a Hindu) and Yuvaan Makaar (as his tragic stepson), however some of the American actors, particularly Jennifer Echols as Mama Jenny, are unfortunately poor. As a whole though the film is largely excellent and, what's more, important in its message of tolerance and courage, education and knowledge and its bravery in portraying America as something other than a land of dreams and freedom. The sheer length may put off casual viewers but thankfully the film never feels baggy and is actually at turns poignant, funny and engaging. As such, Johar remains a director of great interest full of a daring to experiment and a talent that, even when it's not totally successful, is sincere and appealing.