India
2010
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kanol, and Sheetal Menon
Since the day it was released on Netflix on demand service this movie was in my queue; I left it there for months without watching it for one reason or another and I'm sad that it took me so long to watch it.
My Name is Khan is an amazing movie consisting of a well knit web of difficulties. The movie is centered around the struggles of Muslims and Hindi in America before and after 9/11. The main character, Khan, faces struggles of his own throughout his childhood and adulthood both in India and in the United States. The circles of struggles touch on the relationships between Indian Muslims and Hindis, family, religions, countries, cultures, racism, discrimination, acceptance, love, loss, innocence, and so much more. I don't know that I have ever seen a movie that involved so much that was so well done; I had assumed this movie wouldn't interest me and instead when I started watching it in the middle of the night I couldn't go to sleep until I finished watching it (5am). This is simply a must see.
I will be the first to admit that I do not know much about the Great Divide in India, what caused it, or why it still an issue. I'm not sure if the Great Divide is the same as the Partition of 1947. But, it is sad that there are so many people who struggle to this day with religion and in the case of Khan's homeland the caste system as well. This movie didn't involve the caste system, but was but did depict the struggles from two cultures from the same country while in a foreign land. It also involved the struggles of the Indian Muslim and Hindu population living in the United States and how they also began to divide after 9/11. This movie is simply and amazingly eye opening and moving.
There could not have been more horrible things happening to a man who was simply trying to do his best to live in a world where he was different then everyone else. Khan's struggles with Asperger Syndrome and with his own identity. Even being shunned by society at large and struggling on so many fronts a warmer heart and soul could not have been written into his character any better.
Through the struggles of one man and his actions this movie reminds us that one individual can be a powerful force, no matter who they are.
While I was in the process of due diligence on this movie I found an article that broke my heart. While the article is a compilation of stories and says the actions of those involved had more to do with cricket in India than the religious or cultural differences portrayed in My Name is Khan the actions by religious groups shows otherwise in my mind. It is sad that different cultures struggle for acceptance from each other in their home land and add the struggle of acceptance of a nation to that difficulty when they come here. As borders grow less obscure in the way the world is trending currently hopefully mankind will learn to accept itself at large no matter what culture or background someone comes from.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/02/100212_my_name_is_khan_nh_sl.shtml
Quote(s): "My Name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist"
Ammi: "This is you Rizvan. And this is the person who has a stick in his hand. And he is beating you."
Rizvan: "It's bad, beating is bad."
Ammi: "Yes, it's bad. Now this is you again Rizvan and this is the person who has a lollipop. And he gives it to you.
Rizvan: "Lollipop is sweet. It's a good thing."
Ammi: "Good boy. Now tell me which of these is a Hindu and which one a Muslim?" Looking at stick figure drawings.
Rizvan: "Both look alike."
Ammi: "Good. 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."
