And I am not an Atheist!!!
This is not a review of a movie in particular. This is a message that a movie like My Name Is Khan brings to notice. After a long wait of ten days since its release, I watched MNIK yesterday and while watching it, strangely, what inspired me the most was neither the characterization of Khan nor the effortless natural portrayal of Mandira or even the soul stirring music of the movie; but instead it was the simple message of the film that touched my heart.
The truth of the matter is that we are no longer living in a world where the time frame is divided into BC and AD, it is now more terrifyingly & realistically framed as Before and After 9/11. So why did the world change the way it did after the terrorist attack at WTC. Its because of its target being such a secure nation like the U.S and the precision with which such a horrifying plan of this magnitude had been executed that changed a whole nation's view towards the people of a certain religion. These people were then termed as the "STANIS', the Pakistanis, Afganistanis, and even some Hindustanis who were muslims.
Coming back to the movie, the Asperges syndrome of the protagonist actually helps the story unfold in its own pace as the character doesn't show emotions and doesn't even understand the common way of loving someone. Khan only knows and believes in one message, there are only two kinds of people in this world. The Good & The Bad. He believes only good things happen to good people.
He even takes each & every sentence that one says in its literal meaning. So, when his wife yells at him to "Go and meet the President and tell him My Name Is Khan and I am not a Terrorist", he doesn't understand the emotions behind such an illogical statement that was part of an emotional outburst. This innocence of Khan helps the movie roll on to an incredible "Forest Gump" like journey that initially makes the viewer feel ridiculously silly and unrealistic, but the way its been handled in the latter half of the movie deserves a thumbs up for the screenplay writer Shibani Bathija.
For instance the episodes in Wilhemina, Geogia & the one inside a mosque. The whole incident revolving around the hurricane at Wilhemina & the one thats satirically set inside a mosque where a doctor whose suppose to rescue all his patients despite the caste & creed is recruiting jihadis. Both these incidents in the movie may seem to be irrelevant for the story, but its these two incidents that not only helps Khan get closer to his goal of meeting the President, but also brings back the message of Humanity.
Ironically these two episodes show the two extremely different shades of humanity as well. One in which the government of a nation in the middle of elections, conveniently neglects the huge massacre caused by a natural calamity which in turn provokes Khan to lead a group of common people in helping their fellow citizens survive from this mass destruction. The other in which a group of jihadis gather inside the temple of god and motivate themselves on taking lives where again someone like Khan, a true Muslim takes the risk of informing about them to the FBI.
Ultimately, its the goodness and humanity of Khan that bridges him to his destination and makes his impossible dream, possible. This in turn urges each one of us to believe in his principle that if you do only good things in life, only Good will happen to you. For Khan, a person who reads the kuran, does the namaz five times a day, and believes in Islam, no religion is greater than Humanity. And that doesn't mean that one shouldn't believe in any religion or God, but to realize that...
Religion is a guide for your way of living. No matter what form of idol you worship, all of them stand for one unanimous thought..That Goodness, Faith & Love is your God.
And thats why My Name is "Humanity" And I am not an Atheist!!!
-Dilse...
MunnaSrk
This is not a review of a movie in particular. This is a message that a movie like My Name Is Khan brings to notice. After a long wait of ten days since its release, I watched MNIK yesterday and while watching it, strangely, what inspired me the most was neither the characterization of Khan nor the effortless natural portrayal of Mandira or even the soul stirring music of the movie; but instead it was the simple message of the film that touched my heart.
The truth of the matter is that we are no longer living in a world where the time frame is divided into BC and AD, it is now more terrifyingly & realistically framed as Before and After 9/11. So why did the world change the way it did after the terrorist attack at WTC. Its because of its target being such a secure nation like the U.S and the precision with which such a horrifying plan of this magnitude had been executed that changed a whole nation's view towards the people of a certain religion. These people were then termed as the "STANIS', the Pakistanis, Afganistanis, and even some Hindustanis who were muslims.
Coming back to the movie, the Asperges syndrome of the protagonist actually helps the story unfold in its own pace as the character doesn't show emotions and doesn't even understand the common way of loving someone. Khan only knows and believes in one message, there are only two kinds of people in this world. The Good & The Bad. He believes only good things happen to good people.
He even takes each & every sentence that one says in its literal meaning. So, when his wife yells at him to "Go and meet the President and tell him My Name Is Khan and I am not a Terrorist", he doesn't understand the emotions behind such an illogical statement that was part of an emotional outburst. This innocence of Khan helps the movie roll on to an incredible "Forest Gump" like journey that initially makes the viewer feel ridiculously silly and unrealistic, but the way its been handled in the latter half of the movie deserves a thumbs up for the screenplay writer Shibani Bathija.
For instance the episodes in Wilhemina, Geogia & the one inside a mosque. The whole incident revolving around the hurricane at Wilhemina & the one thats satirically set inside a mosque where a doctor whose suppose to rescue all his patients despite the caste & creed is recruiting jihadis. Both these incidents in the movie may seem to be irrelevant for the story, but its these two incidents that not only helps Khan get closer to his goal of meeting the President, but also brings back the message of Humanity.
Ironically these two episodes show the two extremely different shades of humanity as well. One in which the government of a nation in the middle of elections, conveniently neglects the huge massacre caused by a natural calamity which in turn provokes Khan to lead a group of common people in helping their fellow citizens survive from this mass destruction. The other in which a group of jihadis gather inside the temple of god and motivate themselves on taking lives where again someone like Khan, a true Muslim takes the risk of informing about them to the FBI.
Ultimately, its the goodness and humanity of Khan that bridges him to his destination and makes his impossible dream, possible. This in turn urges each one of us to believe in his principle that if you do only good things in life, only Good will happen to you. For Khan, a person who reads the kuran, does the namaz five times a day, and believes in Islam, no religion is greater than Humanity. And that doesn't mean that one shouldn't believe in any religion or God, but to realize that...
Religion is a guide for your way of living. No matter what form of idol you worship, all of them stand for one unanimous thought..That Goodness, Faith & Love is your God.
And thats why My Name is "Humanity" And I am not an Atheist!!!
-Dilse...
MunnaSrk
