My Name Is Khan

My Name Is Khan is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Karan Johar, written by Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar, produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Gauri Khan, and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles. Set in India and the United States, the film centers upon Rizwan Khan, an autistic Muslim man married to a woman, Mandira, who has a child, Sameer, in her previous relationship. Sameer is killed on the nature of prejudice following the September 11 attacks, and Mandira blames Rizwan, telling him not to come back until he can convince the President of the United States that he is not a terrorist. Rizwan takes Mandira's words literally and tries to meet the President so as to win her back.

The film was produced by Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment It was distributed by Fox Star Studios, which had bought the rights for the film for a sum of ₹1 billion (US$14 million), making it the most expensive Bollywood film of 2010. It is also the highest buy over for any Indian film, surpassing Ghajini of ₹900 million (equivalent to ₹2.0 billion or US$28 million in 2019).

My Name Is Khan premiered on 12 February 2010. It was also screened as part of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's official selection. The film was released in India on DVD on 21 April 2010, Blu-ray in India, plus a DVD release worldwide followed on 17 August 2010. Prior, the film generated a great deal of publicity due to the political controversies surrounding the film and its lead actor: Khan's presence in the film (he was last seen in a leading actor role in December 2008, when Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was released); and the reunion and sixth collaboration of Khan and Kajol, who last appeared together in the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in 2001. The film, however, received positive reviews from critics, broke many box office records, and received various accolades.

Plot

Rizwan Khan is an autistic Muslim child who grew up with his brother Zakir and his mother in a middle-class family in Borivali, Mumbai. His autism leads to special tutoring from a reclusive scholar and extra attention from his mother, all which leads to a heightened level of jealousy from Zakir, who eventually leaves his family for a life in San Francisco. Despite this, Zakir sponsors Rizwan to come and live with him after their mother's death. Zakir's wife Haseena diagnoses Rizwan as having Asperger’s syndrome. Rizwan also begins to work for Zakir's company, and meets a Hindu woman Mandira Rathore and her young son Sameer "Sam" Rathore, born from a previous marriage. Despite Zakir's uncertainty, they marry and live in the fictional locality of Banville, where Mandira and Sam surname themselves with "Khan." They also live next door to the Garrick family, comprising Mark and his wife. Sam is close to their young son Reese.

The Khan's perfect existence gets disrupted after the September 11 attacks. Mark goes to cover the war in Afghanistan and dies there. The Khan family begins to experience post 9–11 prejudice and Reese begins to turn against Sam, who finds himself in a racist fight against older students. Reese tries to stop the fight but is held back and forced to watch his friend being beaten to death. Shocked beyond relief, Mandira blames Rizwan, stating that Sam "died only because of his surname." She then declares an unofficial divorce, sarcastically saying that to be back together, he has to tell the people and President of the United States that his name is Khan and he is not a terrorist.

Rizwan, being naïve, takes Mandira's jibe to heart and thus sets out on a road trip to first meet President George W. Bush and later President-elect Barack Obama. He travels to the fictional town of Wilhemina in Georgia and befriends Mama Jenny and her son Joel. While at a mosque in Los Angeles, he overhears violent rhetoric from a doctor named Faisal Rahman and tries to report this to the FBI but no response is given. While waiting in a crowd to meet President Bush, he repeats "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist!" He is arrested due to misinterpretation as "I am a terrorist."

Rizwan is interrogated as a terrorist suspect and meets the psychiatrist Radha who believes he is innocent. He is later released after a media campaign by some Indian student reporters Raj Burman, Komal and Bobby Ahuja, who prove his innocence by unearthing his attempts to inform the FBI about Faisal Rahman. After his release, he returns to hurricane-hit Wilhemina to help Mama Jenny, Joel, and everyone there, attracting attention. Meanwhile, Reese finally confesses to Mandira and reveals the identity of the boys who murdered Sam. She informs Detective Garcia who has been assisting her on the case, and the boys are arrested.

Mandira joins Rizwan in Georgia. At the moment she arrives, Rizwan is stabbed by Faisal's follower and is hospitalized. Rizwan survives and meets Obama who tells him: "Your name is Khan and you are not a terrorist."