Here is Taran Adarsh's review of My Name is Khan.
4.5/5
MY NAME IS KHAN makes two strong statements...
* The first: B.C. [before Christ] and A.D. [after death] are designations used to label years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. There's a third designation now - 9/11. Post September 11, the world stands divided. Terrorist outfits continue to strike in the name of religion and the common man, not even remotely associated with these groups, is bearing the brunt. The world is not a safe place anymore.
* The second statement: There're two sets of people in this world - the good and the bad. No matter how strong the evil forces are, good always triumphs.
Write your own movie review of My Name Is Khan
MY NAME IS KHAN mirrors the era we live in. Not a day goes by when you haven't heard/read/watched news of terror attacks and innocents being killed. We live in turbulent times. Also, the movie states - and states very strongly, without mincing words - Not all Muslims are terrorists.
Karan Johar's cinema got more real from KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA onwards. In MY NAME IS KHAN, the storyteller attempts to make a social statement and succeeds completely. At the same time, it takes no sides. If the protagonist says 'My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist', it also exposes those who misadvise the youth with inflammatory and rabble-rousing speeches.
Karan's take on the issue deserves the highest praise, since a subject like this is difficult to attempt. Final word? MY NAME IS KHAN is Karan, SRK and Kajol's best outing to date. Do I need to add anything more?
Rizvan Khan [Shah Rukh Khan moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother [Jimmy Shergill] and sister-in-law [Sonya Jehan]. Rizvan, who has Asperger's syndrome, falls in love with Mandira [Kajol]. Despite protests from his brother, they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change.
When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.
Let me alert you. The story unfolds feverishly from the very start itself. So if you miss a scene or two, chances are you would've missed some vital links in the story. The fact is, there's too much happening in the first half. Although the narrative tends to get leisurely-paced at times, the wheels continue to move from one episode to another.
A number of sequences are endearing. For instance, the romance between SRK and Kajol is subtle, yet charming. But it's SRK's relationship with Kajol and their kid that's one of the best parts of the movie. Your heart bleeds when an accident occurs and their lives are torn apart. Kajol's outburst - first, when her son meets with a catastrophe and second, when she confronts SRK - are truly shattering.
Read more at http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13712/index.html
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Celebs who have seen MNIK and tweeted their "reviews":
Celebs who have seen My Name is Khan are all praises for Shah Rukh, Kajol and Karan Johar... The film releases worldwide this week, on Feb 12, 2010. Heres what the celebs had to say about My Name is Khan.
Farhan Akhtar
MNIK is an amazing film. Full power to Karan, Shahrukh, Kajol, Ravi K Chandran (DOP), Deepa Bhatia (editor) and the rest! Outstanding! Shahrukh's best performance till date. Karan's best film. What else can you ask for? I came back from Philippines yesterday... went straight for MNIK, it couldn't have been planned better! Kajol is very good as always, reached in and plucked my heart out in some moments.... but SRK blows you away. MUST WATCH!
Preity Zinta
Jut saw My Name Is Khan and it is MINDBLOWING! Everyone who has a heart should watch it again and again and again! Am so proud of SRK! Karan Johar has shown his superiority as a director! I am so proud of him! My name is Zinta and I have loved the film! Kajol is also amazing in the film. Its SRK's role that is really tough though and he deserves a standing ovation.
More at http://movies.indiatimes.com/Features-Events/Features/Bollywood-reviews-My-Name-is-Khan/articleshow/5545289.cms
Looks all set to rule the BO!
Here is how the story unfolds in MNIK....
MNIK opens with SRK being questioned by the authorities in the airport (SFO). From here the first half unfolds in flashback narrating how Rizwan got there(literally).
Second half moves forward from the SF airport and is a journey for Rizwan in time & distance. He travels along the pacific coast, through Mojave Desert, Atlanta, Louisiana, and finally makes it to Washington on foot by 2009 Feb.
Now Go & Enjoy Rizwan's cross country journey by Greyhound and on foot. :-)
Taran Adarsh is the worst reviewer I have read ever. It took him 2 lines to spoil the film.
"The second statement: There're two sets of people in this world - the good and the bad. No matter how strong the evil forces are, good always triumphs."
WTF!!!! First there is Karan Johar who made sure people have seen half the film through promos, and now we have this IDIOT, who has tried his level best to spoil the ending too.
I stopped reading the review after that line. I don't know why I even started reading it.
He always reveals the entire story in almost every film. That is his "style" or lack thereof.
100 cr India.
100 cr Overseas.
Is Given.
Another MNIK review : 4 stars!!
My Name is Khan has shaped into an enviable work of cinema. Karan Johar proves that though he may be the czar of candy floss films, he has the tenacity to take on tough and riveting subjects as well. His My Name is Khan works because it touches your heart and makes you think.
Story of My Name is Khan
An Asperger syndrome patient, Rizvan Khan(Shahrukh Khan) moves to San Francisco(US) and lives with his brother Jimmy Shergill and sister in law(Sonya Jehar). He falls in love with a girl named Mandira(Kajol). Though the people in his house are against the marriage, Mandira and Rizvan are adamant about marrying. Finally, they do wed and start a business of their own. They have a kid as well; things look good till 9/11 strikes. The perspective of people towards Muslims change drastically and the couple’s peaceful life is shattered as well. There is a personal tragedy in the lives of Mandira and Rizvan due to which she leaves him forever. Helpless Rizvan embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across the US to be with Mandira once again
Karan Johar’s direction in My Name is Khan
What transforms the script of My Name is Khan movie into a celluloid beauty is Karan Johar’s stellar direction. It wouldn’t be an understatement that My Name is Khan is Karan Johar’s best work till date. There have been movies based on terror subjects too like Karan Johar’s very own Kurbaan, New York, Kabul Express and Fanaa. Though all of the three movies had their own plus points, it looked as if enough has been said and shown but Karan Johar has managed to dispel the perspective. He takes the movie on the humane level and makes the viewer connect with the film in a distinctive manner.
Technicalities of My Name is Khan
The narrative of My Name is Khan is interesting as the scenes and sequences individually carry weight. Some scenes of My Name is Khan stand out, typically the chemistry between SRK and Kajol, Kajol’s outburst on SRK following the tragedy and SRK’s moving journey in pursuit of Kajol. Ravi Chandran’s cinematography is top-notch. Niranjan Iyengar has given voice to the film with some very good dialogues. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s compositions are relevant and a perfect foil to the movie’s theme. My Name is Khan’s strong point lie in a well-written script and screenplay by Shibani Bhatija.
The flip side to the movie is that the media part tends to drag a bit. But that is a minor aberration in a movie which is largely inspiring.
SRK and Kajol in My Name is Khan
By all means, 80 percent of the people who have come to watch My Name is Khan is to watch the chemistry of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol on screen once again. They don’t disappoint. Kajol has a role that only she could do poetic justice to. She compliments Khan very well and you are impressed by her yet another brilliant performance. Shahrukh Khan has given a landmark performance in My Name is Khan. The superstar has on his hands, an author-backed role and a challenging one at that, which he pulls of with elan. So convincing is Rizvan Khan’s character that it is difficult to imagine Shahrukh Khan without Asperger’s syndrome.
Supporting Actors in My Name is Khan:
Other actors in the movie pitch in well and since we know it is not easy to create an impact in a movie which already has two of Bollywood’s biggest superstars, these names deserve recognition for their wonderful performances:. Arif Zakaria, Zarina Wahab, Jimmy Shergill, Arjun Mathur, Parvin Dabbas, Sugandha Garg, Tanay Chedda (young SRK), Yuvaan Maakar(SRK and Kajol’s son Sameer), Navneet Nishan, Vinay Pathak and Christopher B. Duncan.
Last words: My Name is Khan is a brilliant movie, a fascinating love story with world’s biggest terror attack as a back drop. SRK fans are sure to root for him. Karan Johar, SRK and Kajol are sure to win hearts with this one. Do not miss My Name is Khan.
Rating: ****(Four Stars)
Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer upcoming flick ‘My Name Is Khan’, which was shown to Mumbai Police Commissioner D Sivanandan at a private screening yesterday at one of city’s preview theatres, floored him by its sheer honesty and sincerity of approach at understanding the serious issue after 9/11 New York blasts.
The commissioner not only praised the work of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar but also promised to provide a full proof security to the theatres in the city screening the flick. Now, Karan Johar’s exhibit committee is likely to meet the Police official in this regard and indicate their requirements for the security of the film and audience.
http://www.magnamags.com/index.php/201002085684/stardust/scoop-of-the-day/shah-rukh-khan-mnik-floors-sivanandan-promises-security-to-theatres.html
Farah Khan saw estranged friend Shahrukh Khan's My Name Is Khan at a special screening on Sunday morning. The Om Shanti Om director loved the film, and has been praising Karan's work to everyone since. She told KJo how much she enjoyed the film and also called SRK who was not present at the screening.
Buzz up!
Farah admits, "Yes, I saw MNIK and I loved it! When I go to watch a film, I don't scrutinise it like a director, but see it as aam junta. Karan has made a beautiful film. He has moved away from his traditional style of films and made a very touching film. I thought Shah Rukh was brilliant in the film and I called him up immediately after the film and told him that. We discussed the film for about half an hour."
At the screening, Farah was sitting with Karan on the right, and John Abraham on the left. She laughs, "Yes, John and I were like two mad Parsis sobbing our hearts out. In fact, John cried more than I did, and he used up all my tissues! MNIK has many tender moments. I was crying because it was a very sentimental time for me. I missed Karan's dad Yashji."
When asked why she didn't see the film sooner at Karan's special trial, the previous night, she adds, "I sleep very early. So does John. That's why we were the only two people to attend the technicians' screening in the morning."
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2010/farah-congratulates-shahrukh-090210.html
Mid-day review - 4.5/5
http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2010/feb/100210-MNIK-My-Name-IS-Khan-Movie-Review.htm
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: When the maestro of romance teams up with celluloid's most adored pair, you know there's magic waiting to happen. Get set for the year's best offering so far. My Name Is Khan has all the gloss you expect from a KJo film -- only this time, it comes along with a new sensibility and a bolder theme. The film is about Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a birth disorder. Rizwan has problems in his social interactions. After his mother's (Zarina Wahab) death, his US-based younger brother (Jimmy Shergill) takes him to San Francisco where Rizwan starts working as a salesman. On one of his calls, he encounters Mandira (Kajol) and his life changes. Mandira is a single mother, falls in love with Rizwan in an improbable yet utterly romantic manner. They get married and, life seems till (9/11) changes it all. ......
WHAT'S HOT: There's no one quite like Karan Johar when it comes to love stories and MNIK simply reinforces that. This is a difficult subject to handle -- it's multi-layered unlike his previous attempts. There's a hero with a handicap; the leading lady who is the mother of a school kid; there's a clash of cultures inspired by true events and there's some hard-hitting drama. It's commendable the way Karan interweaves all of this in his narrative, in a film which at the core is a love story with epical proportions. Even though MNIK is the director's shortest film in terms of length, it's the most comprehensive story he's ever told. The quintessential dazzle of a KJo film is all there -- from the zigzag streets of Frisco to the stark beauty of Arizona. .....
MNIK works because it's an uplifting tale of an underdog told in an entertaining manner. There's also that element of freshness in the film also his choice of actors -- Zarina Wahab, Jimmy Shergill, Soniya Jehan (simply superb) and Arif Zakaria. It's a delight to see Kajol back in action -- she brings Mandira alive first with her characteristic candour and then with her heartrending complexity of emotions. The distressing scene with her son is proof of why she's simply the best. But MNIK is, after all, the story of Rizwan and it is to Shah Rukh Khan's credit that Rizwan grows on you with every scene. What seems awkward initially eventually culminates into a character you warm upto want to take home -- you want to laugh at his innocent antics and cry when he's in pain. The SRK magic is at play in almost all the crucial moments -- when Mandira proposes to him; his touching camaraderie with the African-American family; the sequence in the Church where he speaks about his son; the one where he stands up to a fanatic; the scene -- MNIK is Shah Rukh
WHAT'S NOT: In a near-perfect film, the only over-the-top part is Rizwan's return to a flood-hit small town to save the African-American family. It's stands out because everything else is so understated. And then the part about the media brigade landing there followed by Rizwan's supporters is a bit unconvincing. Also, one of the highlights of all Karan Johar films has been the musical score. In MNIK, nothing impresses us much except for the Noor-E-Khuda track, which is haunting.
WHAT'S THAT: Rizwan never shakes hands with anyone -- he has a problem with that. Yet, when he meets the American President, he shakes hands not once but twice. Special treatment for special people?
WHAT TO DO: Brave the protests and head for the nearest cinema hall. MNIK is a must-watch. The Karan-Shah Rukh-Kajol combo strikes once more.
Stardust Review:
MY NAME IS KHAN ***1/2 [10 Feb 2010] STARRING
Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Jimmy Shergill, Zarina Wahab, Parveen Dabbas, Arif Zakaria, Navneet Nishan, Sheetal Menon, Tanay Cheda, Arjun Mathur, Sonya Jehan and others.
DIRECTION
Karan Johar
STORY
The plot of the flick revolves around the character of Rizvan Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan), who suffers from Aspergers disease. He is innocent and believes in the teaching of his mother (Zarina Wahab) who says that there are good or bad men in the world and good always win over the bad. Rizvan believed that he was a good person.
Rizvan Khan leaves India to live with his brother (Jimmy Shergill) in San Francisco. Rizvan, who is a simple and pure person at heart, falls in love with Mandira(Kajol). Now, Rizvan wants to marry her but his family, including brother, is against the union due to various extraneous factors other than love.
Rizvan does not like all these things and marries Mandira against the will of his family members. Soon Mandira and Rizvan move out of his brother’s shadow and start their own small business. They are enjoying the marital bliss but fate had other things in store for them.
On eleventh September a bomb blast takes place in New York and everything changes for the innocent man and his wife. Being a Muslim, Rizvan faces innumerable difficulties due to changed attitude in the US after suspected Islamic terrorists bombed the New York.
A tragedy happens in Mandira’s life and she decides to walk away from Rizvan Khan’s life for ever. Rizvan is devastated at the happening and tries to reunite with his better half through every conceivable means.
The gutsy Rizvan even undertakes a journey to meet the US President in his effort to win back the love of his life. What happens after that and if he succeeds in his endeavors forms the rest of the flick.
PERFORMANCE
Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the character of Rizvan Khan in the flick, is brilliant to say the least. King Khan has not only managed to showcase the nuances of Asperger’s disease but also come out with flying colors in portraying the pain and tribulation of a Muslim when confronted with the tag of a terrorist only because of his religion.
Shah Rukh Khan’s facial expression during his imprisonment and security check up at the airport goes straight to audience’s heart and they feel the pain themselves. In fact, Shah Rukh Khan makes the audience completely involved with his character and that is the biggest success of his performance.
Shah Rukh Khan shows his towering histrionic ability when he faces Kajol after that tragic event that becomes the starting point for their separation. Though, his romantic flings with Kajol is underplayed (quite unlike ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’) this time, perhaps due to mature love story angle, but he excels in even that and becomes darling of audiences.
Read rest here:
http://www.magnamags.com/index.php/201002105694/stardust/friday-fever/my-name-is-khan-***1/2.html
STARDUST VERDICT
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol are at their best in this nearer- to- reality flick from Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. The movie is likely to be lapped up by the multiplex going audiences more than single screen theatre goers. In any case, due to Shiv Sena’s opposition to Shah Rukh Khan and ‘My Name Is Khan’, a shattering opening weekend is guaranteed to the flick worldwide. A brilliant flick from K JO.
-- k k rai
Instead of posting many reviews in an ad hoc manner, I thought I would link to allbollywood.com, the current total is at 79% (A-) with 9 good reviews and no bad ones!!!
We can see all the reviews they are keeping track of via the link.
http://www.allbollywood.com/ab/movies/2010/1239/my_name_is_khan/
Please feel free to post non-mainstream reviews that may not be accounted for on the site!
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