My Name is Khan (2010)

 
This one took a while for me to watch because it is a 9/11 movie.  I kept wanting to watch it because I love Shahrukh and Kajol and people kept recommending it to me, but didn't want to watch a sad 9/11 type deal.  This movie is great.  It's not so much about 9/11 as it is about the racism that followed 9/11.



It's about a Muslim man with Asperger syndrome, who after 9/11 loses everything, so is on a mission to tell the president that "My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist."  Because of the terrorism hysteria and subsequent racism, a lot of horrible things happen.  It compares this to the Hindu-Muslim riots which happened when he was a child, and the message of the film is that everyone is equal and should be treated with kindness.

While it's full of terrible things and sadness, it's also a funny movie.  Especially since he has Aspeger and says it like it is.  Shahrukh does so well with it too.  So appropriate and sincere.  Kajol is amazing too, and their love story is as cute as always.

However, for a movie about racism, they sure use stereotypes as well.  At one point in the film, he goes to the south and is befriended by some black Christians, and every black christian southern stereotype is used.  Well all the nicer ones anyways.  The point was to show that everyone is the same and the Christians and Muslims could understand and help each other.  Having them be black and southern was to make it more poignant as they would represent another once misunderstood and oppressed by racism group of people.  That was probably one of the reasons why even though he kept on trying to meet President Bush, it was President Obama at the end.  A more sympathetic ear maybe?

Anyways, I hope this didn't give too much away, because this movie is awesome and so well made.  And to prove how needful the message was, Shahrukh was several times detained at the airports for being a suspected terrorist during the filming and promotion of this film.  Still racial stereotyping, America?  Maybe.

However, I really liked this movie, even with the serious subject matter.  And it's about racism, not 9/11, so those peeps who are tired of 9/11 movies too can still watch this one.

Favorite Song:
Tere Naina