Movie Review: My Name is Khan

Too Much Cheese for One Movie

One day aliens will land on Earth to offer mankind answers to the secrets of the universe. But because of films like 'My Name is Khan' they will deem us unworthy and return to the Heavens once more in their cheese-free interstellar cruisers. 'My Name is Khan', quite frankly, is overblown and needlessly sugar-coated.

Rather than go the long way around to your emotions, (you know, with sympathetic characters and good writing), Karan Johar uses movie shortcuts like retarded people, cute kids and blaring dramatic music. The story of 'My Name is Khan' is so unrealistic that it could only take place in a parallel universe. Its a mentally-challenged melodrama of self-aggrandizing proportions and its 2 hours of poorly written dialogue sum up the substance of the movie.

Of course its a Karan Johar film, and subtlety goes flying out the window - but its time Bollywood discontinued with its redundant, overbearing references to 9/11, jihad, and overdone shots of the Koran, apart from the frustratingly forced sequences involving 'The Meek Protagonist' suddenly turning into 'The Bollywood Hero' (in this case Mr Rizwan Khan saves an African-American family from floods) .

A movie where Shahrukh Khan meets Barack Obama to win his wife back is less drama and more Science Fiction. But that would have been fine had the film not been a never ending, numbing melodramatic nothingness drowned in the sticky syrup that a doctor prescribes to you as a remedy for cough. My Name is Khan's script (by Shibani Bathija) is intellectually vapid, and should come with a blood sugar alert what with its layers of cheese. Like other Kjo films, the script is soggy and flamboyantly manipulative. It lacks focus and consistency of approach, and the end result is a mixture of emotional manipulation and laughable caricature. If racism is so pervasive in today's world, why do we need such an elaborately contrived plot to drive home the message? The film's real message isn't anti-racism but pro-star power and pro-cinematographer - My Name is Khan seems to shout 'Look its Shahrukh Khan!' and 'Look how gorgeous the film looks!'

Director Karan Johar, the visionary that he is, injects new life into the stale Bollywood drama genre by introducing a mentally handicapped leading man and his loving wife, only to pull the rug from under us by transposing their roles when you least expect it. The acting is expectedly over the top, but MNIK thankfully does not completely reduce SRK, one of the best screen actors of all time, to a mugging embarrassment. Shahrukh really tries hard to dole up a studied, thoughtful performance, but the story is just terrible and written, no doubt, to accommodate several agendas. The ploy works, for SRK's Rizwan Khan WILL melt fans' hearts and leave them chanting, 'Filmfare award! Filmfare award!! Get this guy a Filmfare award!!'

The leading lady has a solid screen presence but the much-hyped jodi of Shahrukh and Kajol disappoints, because the duo are not in sync with the fundamentals and intricacies of the people they play. Jimmy Shergill remains as rigid as a bookcase while the half a dozen cameos (particularly Vinay Pathak and Sumeet Raghavan) are criminally misused. However Tanay Chheda who plays the young Rizwan is extraordinary, while Arjan Aulja and Sonya Jehan are excellent. Apart from Noor-E-Khuda, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music does not work but Ravi K. Chandran's eye-popping cinematography certainly does - the imagery of Georgia will especially linger in your mind long after you've left the theater. The editing should have been given a once over since 'My Name is Khan' really drags in its second half.

Final verdict? If 'My Name is Khan' and 'Dariya Dil', a serious drama which has Govinda dressed up as Superman romancing a heroine in a Spiderman costume, were the very last two movies at the DVD store, I would pick 'Dariya Dil'.


By:
 Mihir Fadnavis | India.com

(Follow Mihir Fadnavis on Twitter)

February 12, 2010
Read More Stories on:
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  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:29

    you"re no better than taran adarsh or anupama chopra

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:32

    It did not release in Mumbai!!!! I hate Shiv Sena!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:32

    hehhe

    "Of course its a Karan Johar film, and subtlety goes flying out the window" lolz - quoted in agreement.
    and btw, that women in spider man costume..I think its Kimi Katkar.

    Great review from you again Sir..WE at Nerul-Navi Mumbai wait for your reviews before anything.

    Sutta and fellow NaaviMumbaiites

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:39

    hahahaha... Mihir Fadnavis pans another over the top Bollywood film. I expect a hundred hate comments against him here

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:41

    SRK IS GOD!!!

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 19:08

    No SRK is not GoD.He is a politician. He plays dirty politics far too often to popularise his movies. One has to be a good human being not God. That is why I like Aamir better.

  • Anonymous on Sun, 02/21/2010 - 15:20

    I agree wid u. Shahrukh want 2 use his power. He is not god but he want 2 show himself god.

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 11:50

    2.5 stars may be too low for fans... but I havent seen it yet. And I hated Kabhi alvida..

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:00

    Mihir Fadnavis, R U a Idiot?? I have seen the movie n its worth watching.........I will give 4 1\2 star to the movuii....n you r picking some Dariya DIl over MNIK,.......very poor review from a poor guy(Mihir).....

  • Anonymous on Sun, 02/14/2010 - 17:04

    r u the supreme authority on movies tht if u give 4.5 everyone else has to?...

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:04

    It was ok. But not 5 stars like in TOI (Karan obv paid them). I give it 3 stars. India.com was not paid by Dharma prods I think

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:16

    I think I died laughing @Dariya Dil and Aliens. I am a ghost now like Sonu Nigam

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:17

    love and eager to watch movie in pakistan

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:31

    good review...I liked the way u wrote dis one..SRK is wasting time wid K Jo...He should work wid new directors.......

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:50

    I agree. See how great Chak De India and Swades were

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 12:55

    saw the movie

    well , it shows u are beter than taran adarsh in honesty

    its a bad movie

    enter at ur own risk

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 13:19

    What a review... phaad diya ekdum

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 13:52

    Mujhe dejhna hai movie I dun care about reviews

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:00

    I think now we have to see india.com for unbiased reviews. How long do we have to read paid reviews in a national prestigious newspapers like TOI (5 stars!)

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 00:43

    right said

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:00

    My friend Aslam just saw this movie in Dubai......He says that it is sooooo boring. Kajol has done a great job and usual SRK ham and hams and hams. Copies Tom Hanks in Forrest Gumpp a lot.

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 17:44

    ur friend might be a booch

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 00:43

    Please thank your friend for his honest opinion

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:01

    keep it up kj and srk...you both did what the world could not do

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:14

    mnik is the most worst movie of srk and karan johar,both of them should need to learn something from directors and actors of 3idiots.
    srk should leave movies and do something else.

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:54

    Are you Aamir Khan?

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 18:35

    Aamer khan was wasting his time in 3 idiots it is not his place at all he is 44 and acts for 20. the story is sick and could be written and directed much better. i shcocked of the awards they got in screen awards they must pay the jury.

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 14:39

    Useless movie to watch don't spend money SRK and his friend karan johar had paid very heavy amount to PR agencies and new channels to just create a good feel about the movie

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 15:42

    I am going to shift from sh!t on TOI or HT to India.com for movie reviews. Not only was this writeup funny but true - MNIK was not so great after all the publicity it got. We have to see how many stars Raja Sen gives

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 18:34

    Raja Sen gave MNIK 3.5

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 16:09

    To this movie reviewer: WHATEVER!

    It is a victory of SHAH RUKH KHAN over the SHIV SENA!! GO SRK!!!

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 16:31

    Its Victory of Entertainment over True patriotism...hail India

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 16:13

    The whole controversy is a mili-bhagat of central govt to ward off the telangana issue and confuse the people of andhra pradesh. both thakrey and srk are on cong payroll

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 16:29

    Real Review...others are giving paid....

    Hats off to you...at last you gave true review...

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 18:29

    Lolzzzzzzz 'cheese-free interstellar cruisers'.. it is not that bad just too long

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 19:00

    too bad too see
    true review by you

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 19:41

    i think its diff from other movies...which r made 2 torture us like kambhakht ishq and all....i think its gud attempt by kjo...and SRK is king...no comments on him....three cheers 4 SRK and MNIK

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 19:46

    U seem to be paid by Aamir, i guess.....lolz
    MNIK is by far SRK's best performance and why u ppl always compare it wid other hollywood movies or superhits of the contemporary times......the story was quite different....
    If u r too good to judge then why dnt u make ur own film and hire SRK....morons

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:19

    i think your away from reality and ur living in a dream world...because comparison is the only parameter to judge someones good or bad performance....so... grow up KID

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 20:13

    Boring movie. And why all the extra melodrama in second half?

  • Anonymous on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 22:51

    I just watched the movie, i agree it's terrible.
    But i'd pick MNIK over 'Dariya Dil' :P

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 00:04

    sorry that you do not be able to understand this movie...and humanity...

    maybe this is too difficult for you.

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 00:10

    it deserved 5 stars, I mean you lost your mind or you are Shiv Sena follower......

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 01:43

    This review is..... A.W.E.S.O.M.E

    Thank you Mr MIHIR!! At least I laughed reading the review, I was crying while watching MNIK

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 02:17

    yes i would also pick Dariya dil over MNK.it's terrible

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 02:41

    I think, they could hav made the movie in a better way, subject was good but the way they treated was poor. Kajol did her role, yet SRK...must hav tried soem one else in this role.

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 05:23

    Dont waste your time and money

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 08:05

    Mihir Fadnavis you dont no anything about movies so next time you write a review DON'T. and for all the people out there go watch the movie if you want and if you don't its you choice but i no sooner or later ur going to watch it so why not and dont listen to people like Mihir Fadnavis that dont no what they talking about.

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 10:05

    Its a fantastic movie. The cinematography, story, music, dialogues, emotions are awesome. Its an inspiring story. Don't know why people like Mihir are so anti Srk n KJO, They just want publicity to be known for some sick reviews.

  • Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 11:07

    3 idiots is a film with some really very unrealistic, filmy and over the top sequences
    1)Mona Singh’s 10 minute long baby-delivery scene on the table tennis table. The floods in the city, Kareena directing Aamir over the web cam, power failure and finally the vacuum cleaner used as a suction to pull out the baby. One word – Disgusting.
    2)Kareena walking out of her marriage for the second time, too filmy too unrealistic.
    3)The twist just before the interval doesn’t work. Was it even necessary?
    4)Frequent dropping of pants and pissing wasn’t funny.
    5)Rancho’s disappearing act.
    Overall, 3 Idiots tries too hard to be funny, the first half is good, the follow up isn’t.
    While on the other hand, MNIK is a beautifully woven love story between Kajol and SRK. Shah Rukh (aka Rizwan) is out and out adorable in mnik. Kajol is spontaneous and her acting sheer brilliance

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