Review of My Name Is Khan (2010) by Tomas T — 14 Apr 2012

My Name Is Khan is a daring Bollywood drama film mostly set in post 9/11 America. It tells an inspiring tale of an autistic Muslim man Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his journey to America in search of better life. Unfortunately for Rizwan, his family gets victimized in the aftermath of 9/11, which set him on a epic journey to confront the President of the United States.

Despite it's many controversies, what really sets the film apart from the mass is the main character; not only is Rizwan a Muslim, but he is also suffering from autism called Asperger syndrome, an unconventional combination for a lead character. Thankfully Shah Rukh Khan puts out a great role as the autistic Rizwan, I dare to say that his performance challenges some of the great autistic acts of the past, such as the one seen in the Rain Man by Dustin Hoffman.

However, as much as I wanted the film to succeed, there are some hard to ignore drawbacks/annoyances which keep it from reaching greatness. First and foremost the director Karan Johar keeps mixing Bollywood comedy with dead serious drama making the film feel incoherent from time to time. There is also so much content in the film, from Rizwan's youth to his journey to America, enough for two fully featured films. Despite these inconveniences and some other issues (editing for one), My Name Is Khan is overall a heart warming film worth watching.