Disclaimer: The author is not a student of cinema, so please read at your own peril!
As I sit back to share my random musings on the movie My name is Khan, I hope that the huge maelstrom of controversy accompanying this movie is ephemeral, nevertheless the sincere message of humanity it conveys remains abiding. Karan Johar has created this movie with a stellar ensemble, glorious production values, multi-layered storytelling, and above all, with an honest sincerity of intentions. The film overall explores human relationships without the usual histrionics associated with his brand of cinema. It manages to be genuinely emotional and heartbreaking without being schmaltzy. Having said that, Karan’s ambition of giving this film a larger-than-life canvas that encompasses every imaginable geographical location and disaster (natural or otherwise) is ultimately the film’s undoing. The film proceeds in a non-linear fashion where the first half is narrated in a low-key manner with scenes making their point discreetly. It is so authentic (made possible by the exceptional performances of the lead actors) that when the plot eventually untethers from reality, it serves as a rude reminder to the viewers about the artifice of cinema. The director at first plunges us into Rizwan’s simplistic world which we gladly accept as our own; then with no fore-warning, we are suddenly left emotionally stranded by turning our Asperger’s afflicted hero into a mish-mash of superhero turned messiah. I don’t have a problem with the imaginary world of cinema per se, except that this hybrid of restrained authenticity in the first half of the film combined with the fake and contrived situations in the second half reduce this could-have-been masterpiece to just about a good film.
SRK as Rizwan Khan is the life and soul of the film. He is absolutely pitch-perfect with no trace of the now (in)famous “Shah Rukh Khan” in his performance. He has possibly given the best performance of his life by his authentic portrayal of high-functioning autism, managing to keep his audiences connected with him like never before. Rizwan’s honesty and inherent goodness of heart shines through in every scene. The grimness of the situations surrounding Rizwan is alleviated by his absolutely endearing and heart-wrenching character making you smile one minute while reducing you to a sobbing heap in the other. There were so many magical moments in the film where Shah Rukh managed to warm the cockles of even the coldest of hearts. Devoid of any exaggerated emotions, gesturalities and the come-hither-looks, Rizwan still was able to convey a transcendent chemistry with Mandira reminding me of the famous Shakespeare lines:
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”
Now, to the leading lady of the film: Kajol. What can I say about this bewitchingly beautiful woman that hasn’t been said before? She is as riveting and ravishing as ever giving an extremely natural performance as Mandira, a single mother tormented by the catastrophic events in her life. She lights up the screen by her sheer magnetic presence and her scenes with Shah Rukh remind us why we all collectively fell in love with this magical duo almost 15 years back. The rest of the supporting cast gave credible performances, notable ones being Tanay Chaddha as young Rizwan, and Zarina Wahab as Ammi. The music of the movie is very melodious, haunting and situational. Noor-e-khuda and Tere Naina are my personal favorites. Ravi Chandran’s cinematography capturing the indescribable beauty of San Francisco’s sunrise and the sprawling canvas of Mojave desert is outstanding.
My name is Khan is an honest heart-felt film with noble intentions. Is it too simplistic at times? Probably yes. Is it contrived at times? Yes, that too. But in the end, it is a film that tugs at your heart strings because the lead protagonist makes us believe in his righteous message of humanity. I am going with 3.5/5 for this extraordinarily awaited movie of 2010 and double thumbs up for SRK who elevates way above the sometimes flawed script to breathe soul into this piece of celluloid.
So, hush haters! Shah Rukh’s gone and changed the way the world looks at him in real and reel life. Again.
6 comments:
Minnie - this is a sincere, honest, and heartfelt review. I too had issues with the grand moments in the second half, and these made the film less real and more stagey. But overall, I was blown away by the performances and only the Scrooges of the world would dislike the message.
Minnie - Thanks for posting this review and sharing your thoughts.
Will comment more on it after watching the movie.
But it strikes me that whenever SRK works hard on his performance and delivers a 'good' one, script of the movie lets him & the movie down.
@Pardesi: Thanks a lot for your comment...I can almost hear the Scrooges of SS say "Bah, humbug!"
@Illusionist: I agree with you on this one at least; the script did let him down. Oh well, there's always another chance!
I will hold you to your promise of commenting after watching the movie.:-)
I have to sort of agree - though letting down is only in BO terms. That is why CDI is a perfect moment.
A great review here, better than what i have read from movie buffs who have written for eternity :-)
A Good review here, more balanced. Thanks !
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