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My name is khan — film review.

This is a movie not built for subtlety, but it does tackle a subject American movies have mostly avoided -- that of racial profiling and the plight of Muslim-Americans.

By Kirk Honeycutt , The Associated Press October 14, 2010 8:42pm

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BERLIN — The thing about some Bollywood superstars is that they are actually fine actors as well as charismatic performers. So it’s not surprising in “My Name Is Khan” to see Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan — he’s light-years beyond a mere superstar in Hindi cinema’s cosmology — challenge himself to expand his acting range and possibly his international fan base. In convincing fashion, he plays an Indian in America battling the double whammy of living with Asperger’s Syndrome and as a Muslim man in the post-9/11 world.

The film is getting released in India, North America and many other territories Feb. 12, but its North American distributor, Fox Searchlight, adopted the puzzling strategy of playing the film out of competition here at the Berlinale but refusing to screen it to U.S. press ahead of its release. With Shah Rukh Khan as your star, you can get away with this since worldwide grosses for his films tend toward the stratosphere. But it’s a pity that the non-Indian press are discouraged from shouting out the news about a film that delves compellingly into Americans’ anti-Muslim hysteria.

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True, the film veers into melodrama and contrivances in the second half. Yet its director/co-writer Karan Johar is, here and in other films, trying to bring fresh ideas to Hindi commercial cinema with a little less masala and a dash more reality to its fantasy stories.

Johar, Khan and co-star Kajol, who all worked on Johar’s smash hit “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (1998), reunite on this much more serious project that finds Khan as a man with a disability who nevertheless wins people over through a loving personality that peeks through his emotional shortcomings. For the first half, the film plays a dicey game of skirting sentimentality without ever quite crossing that line into pure hokum.

Khan is Rizvan Khan, who is on the road in a quest to meet the president of the U.S. to deliver this message: “My Name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.” In flashbacks beginning with his early life in India, where a doting mother helped nurture and give strength to a child (played well by Tanay Chheda) suffering from a form of autism, the film recounts its hero’s journey up to this point.

A younger brother, who never felt as appreciated since he was a normal boy, emigrated to San Francisco and achieved success. Upon their mother’s death, his older brother joins him but the two never really adjust to one another.

Against all odds — which more or less is the theme of most Bollywood stories — he woos and wins the love of a beautiful single mom (Kajol). Only one problem: She is Hindu. The brother cuts him off, but Khan basks in the love of his new bride and her young son.

Then Sept. 11 happens. The film pictures Americans as unable to tell the differences between Muslims and Hindus or Arabs and Indians. Which is not exactly wrong, when it comes to certain redneck elements, but locating these hatreds in left-leaning San Francisco demonstrates a certain lack of comprehension on the filmmakers’ part as well. Perhaps they just liked the idea of cable cars in their movie.

So a somewhat predictable tragedy tears the new family apart. Worse, Khan’s wife blames him of all people, an exasperating plot turn that lessens her as a character and makes no sense at any level.

The movie then become a pilgrimage of redemption where the hero must fulfill his wife’s demand to tell the country and the U.S. president that even though his name is Muslim he is not a terrorist. This has a certain Capra-esque quality so it might have worked, but the linchpin to his redemption seems to be a poor rural and black county set in the Deep South that defies any credibility whatsoever. These are also the only sequences that clearly take place on a soundstage set. Everything here screams: Fake!

Nevertheless, the film and especially Khan hold on to their integrity through conviction and warmheartedness. Without any gimmickry, Khan captures the nervous ticks and emotional barriers that an afflicted individual must battle against daily. It’s a showy performance but in the right kind of way.

The production seems to grow bigger as the movie progresses as Khan’s odyssey must include a Guantanamo-like imprisonment and a hurricane. Even Barack Obama (Christopher B. Duncan) puts in an appearance.

This is a movie not built for subtlety, but it does tackle a subject American movies have mostly avoided — that of racial profiling and the plight of Muslim-Americans. It also allows Shah Rukh Khan to display his talent to an even wider audience. It’s well worth the 162-minute journey.

Venue: Berlin International Film Festival — out of competition (Fox Searchlight) Production companies: Fox Star Studios and Fox Searchlight present a Dharma Prods. and Red Chillies Entertainment Prods. Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Jimmy Shergill, Tanay Chheda Director: Karan Johar Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Shibani Bathija Producers: Hiroo Yash Johar, Gauri Khan Director of photography: Ravi K. Chandran Production designer: Sharmishta Roy Music: Shankar, Ehsaan Loy, Manish Malhotra, Shiraz Siddique Costume designer: Shanoo Sharma Editor: Deepa Bhatia Rated PG-13, 162 minutes

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Movie Review: My Name is Khan (2010)

• Colin Harris
• Movie Reviews
• 7 responses
• --> May 17, 2010

His name is Rizwan Khan and he is not a terrorist. However, he’s a Muslim in a post 9/11 America, and not everyone believes him. He must tell the President in the hope that this simple message will filter down through society. The situation is not helped by the fact that Rizwan suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, which hinders his interpersonal skills. And on that simple premise, this epic Bollywood/Fox production was made, and it’s a doozy.

Rizwan was raised in India and was not diagnosed, but instead was treated as an abnormal child. Only his mother managed to tap into him, and something she told him early on stuck with him: There are only two types of people in the world, good people and bad people. This is most certainly the case in this movie, as we meet good and bad Muslims, Hindus and Westerners.

Rizvan follows his brother to America and there meets Mandira, who is to be the love of his life. She is the single mother of a boy, Sameer, and is a Hindu. Perhaps mindful of the son’s need for a father, and perhaps just because Rizvan is such a good man, they marry and integrate fully into a middle-class neighborhood of Northern California. So concludes the first half of My Name Is Khan .

And then the Twin Towers were leveled.

The mood of the second half of the movie changes dramatically. Racial intolerance abounds. Sikhs are forced to remove their turbans for fear of being wrongly identified as Muslims and Muslim and Hindu shops alike are attacked by ignorant Westerners. The Khan family suffers a more personal tragedy resulting in an ultimatum: Mandira tells Rizwan to leave and to not return until this intolerance is over. “Tell the President”, she says, “Tell him you’re not a terrorist just because you are Muslim.”

We then watch Rizwan’s zig-zagging journey to fulfill this request, and what a journey it is. Arrested and jailed under suspicion of being a ‘”jihadi”; walking the roads of America; trial by television; brushes with Fundamental Muslims; rebuilding a small village after a hurricane — it’s all here. I think it would be fair to state that the boundaries of believability are stretched mighty thin during the second half of the film in particular, but as a tale of hope over adversity and of judging a person as a person it is allowed some artistic license here and there.

My Name Is Khan is beautifully shot, and well acted. Both Shah Rukh Khan (as Rizvan) and Kajol (as Mandira) are big stars in their native India and it is easy to see why. Kajol, in particular, lights up the screen whenever she appears, especially in the lighter first half. Shah Rukh Khan has the more difficult job, of course, in trying to convey a man with interpersonal difficulties in such a way that we are not alienated from him ourselves. Whether he is accurate in his portrayal of a man with Asperger’s I am not able to tell, but I loved his character and was rooting for him.

Edward R. Murrow once said that it was television’s duty to inform and enlighten, rather than merely to entertain, and this movie has the same tenet. It swoops from romance to current affairs, stopping at various points in between, but beneath it all is that one guiding piece of wisdom: judge not the religion or the color of the skin; judge the person. Had the second half of My Name Is Khan matched the quality of the first, this would be one of the great films of 2010. As it is, it’s idealistic, more than a touch naïve, and recommended.

Owner of the Pick 'n' Mix movie review website . Stop by after you've finished here for mostly smaller budget and harder to find movies. Thanks.

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'Movie Review: My Name is Khan (2010)' have 7 comments

January 29, 2011 @ 9:09 am neverfail

I thought that “My name is Khan” was a moving love story. It was long yet captivating. I believe it was well-acted. This movie was inspirational. There were great messages about important messages compassion, honesty, and love. It is definitely a movie that I would watch again.

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February 27, 2011 @ 8:14 pm flash

Frankly, I thought that the movie was predictable. It was the typical love story and it didn’t leave me with a mushy feeling. I guess that is what I get when I agree to watch a movie of my girlfriend’s choice. I guess, however, it did bring light on the subject of how Muslim’s are now viewed in today’s society. I wish that people weren’t so judging.

March 6, 2011 @ 7:21 pm Pig Kick

The only positive thing about this film for me was the cinematography. It was beautifully shot and the images did a good job of conveying the emotion, which was important because the emotion was otherwise hard to find. Overall i was entertained, but I will probably never watch it again.

April 13, 2011 @ 8:40 pm Johnny Juliano

“My Name Is Khan” is one of my favorite flicks of all time. Every time that me & my wife watch the movie we are both amazed at the beautifully production of the movie. I never cease to be inspired by Khan.

June 21, 2011 @ 7:00 am Carmen

The only positive thing about this film for me was the cinematography.Overall i was entertained, but I will probably never watch it again.

July 10, 2011 @ 1:40 am San Fran

I agree with carmen, I didn’t think the film was that great overall and was actually slightly pedantic.

April 9, 2013 @ 7:00 pm Emilian

I think that Khan just play one of the best roles in this movie

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Abhishek Kasar Patil 771 days ago

The best of karan Johar. SRK and Kajol did splendid job.

Durgesh 1538 days ago

One of good movie of karan johar, so beautiful message and concept and it's conceptualization too. Feels so delighted and optimistic

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Really good movie with so much of positivity and how good feelings and compassion, generosity can make a better world. Have peace and sanity

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My Name Is Khan Movie Review: My Name Is Khan Movie

My name is khan review 4.5/5 & rating. watch my name is khan official trailer video, listen songs, movie news updates, movie review and checkout public movie reviews soon., my name is khan review {4.5/5} & review rating.

MY NAME IS KHAN makes two strong statements...

• The first: B.C. and A.D. are designations used to label years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. There's a third designation now - 9/11. Post September 11, the world stands divided. Terrorist outfits continue to strike in the name of religion and the common man, not even remotely associated with these groups, is bearing the brunt. The world is not a safe place anymore.

MY NAME IS KHAN mirrors the era we live in. Not a day goes by when you haven't heard/read/watched news of terror attacks and innocents being killed. We live in turbulent times. Also, the movie states - and states very strongly, without mincing words - Not all Muslims are terrorists.

Karan Johar's cinema got more real from KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA onwards. In MY NAME IS KHAN, the storyteller attempts to make a social statement and succeeds completely. At the same time, it takes no sides. If the protagonist says 'My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist', it also exposes those who misadvise the youth with inflammatory and rabble-rousing speeches.

Karan's take on the issue deserves the highest praise, since a subject like this is difficult to attempt. Final word? MY NAME IS KHAN is Karan, SRK and Kajol's best outing to date. Do I need to add anything more?

Rizvan Khan [Shah Rukh Khan moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother [Jimmy Shergill] and sister-in-law [Sonya Jehan]. Rizvan, who has Asperger's syndrome, falls in love with Mandira [Kajol]. Despite protests from his brother, they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change.

When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.

Let me alert you. The story unfolds feverishly from the very start itself. So if you miss a scene or two, chances are you would've missed some vital links in the story. The fact is, there's too much happening in the first half. Although the narrative tends to get leisurely-paced at times, the wheels continue to move from one episode to another.

A number of sequences are endearing. For instance, the romance between SRK and Kajol is subtle, yet charming. But it's SRK's relationship with Kajol and their kid that's one of the best parts of the movie. Your heart bleeds when an accident occurs and their lives are torn apart. Kajol's outburst - first, when her son meets with a catastrophe and second, when she confronts SRK - are truly shattering.

MY NAME IS KHAN's strength lies in the fact that you root for Khan all through. At the same time, you are weighed down when he's in a vulnerable situation, especially when he's labelled a terrorist and thrown behind bars. You don't realize it, but the fact is that you, as a spectator, have already got entwined in Rizvan and Mandira's lives.

There's a slight hitch in the second hour, when SRK returns to Georgia to save a hurricane-ravaged hamlet. Also, the media exercise tends to add to the length of the film. Nonetheless, it's a minor hiccup that doesn't rob the film of its punch.

There's just one word to illustrate Karan's direction - exemplary. One of the finest storytellers of our generation, he deserves brownie points for deviating from 'Karan Johar brand of cinema' and attempting a film that knocks on your heart and stimulates your mind. With MY NAME IS KHAN, Karan takes rapid strides as a storyteller.

Shibani Bathija's screenplay is truly arresting. Shibani and Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are noteworthy and many a times, applaud-worthy. Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography is awe-inspiring. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music gels well with the nature of the film.

When a film stars two of the finest talents of the country, you expect nothing but the best. SRK, well, how does one describe his performance? To state that this is his best work so far would be cutting short the praise he truly deserves. In fact, no amount of praise can do sufficient justice to his portrayal of Rizvan Khan, who has Asperger's syndrome. His latest work is several notches above anything he has done before. The only compliment that I can think of is, SRK has a new screen-name now. Raj is passe, Rizvan it is.

Kajol is pure dynamite and casting her for this character was the most appropriate decision. No other actress could've matched SRK in histrionics the way Kajol has. In fact, SRK and Kajol compliment each other wonderfully well and this film only proves it yet again. It's a powerhouse performance from this supremely talented actress.

The film boasts of a number of capable actors, but the ones who leave a rock-solid impact are - in this order - Zarina Wahab, Sonya Jehan, Jimmy Shergill, Arjun Mathur, Parvin Dabas and Arif Zakaria. Sugandha Garg is confident. Navneet Nishan supports well. Vinay Pathak leaves a mark in a brief role. Tanay Chheda [young SRK] and Yuvaan Makaar [SRK and Kajol's son Sameer] are excellent. The American actors, especially the kid who plays Sameer's friend, deserves mention.

On the whole, MY NAME IS KHAN is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like MY NAME IS KHAN is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don't miss this one!

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'83' movie review: Kabir Khan's multi-starrer is wishful but entertaining

In Kabir Khan's first film, Kabul Express (2006), a journalist and a soldier get into an argument over who is the greatest all-rounder in cricket. The soldier elects Imran Khan; the journalist, under great duress, counters with Kapil Dev. The argument gets so heated that Suhel (John Abraham), the reporter's dispassionate friend, has to break it up. "Cricket is a bloody waste of time,” he grumbles from the front seat. "11 players standing in a field scratching their crotches."

The blasphemy of that statement-which both shocked and tickled me when I first heard it-is greatly undone in Kabir's latest. 83 is the director's ode to cricket, its innate power to move and excite. The sport and its glory are given central attention in this 163-minute film.

It begins with the Indian team convening for the 1983 World Cup in England and Wales-and it ends with them winning it. There are no extended backstories for the individual players. Kabir, playing to the widest gallery possible, does not bother with history lessons. Any context is snuck in sideways, PR Man Singh telling a young Kapil Dev that we won freedom in 1947, but not respect.

The Kapil in this film is played by Ranveer Singh. Excluding the Santa Claus voice ("Shorry, Shorry"), the actor gets a lot right, from decisive bowling action to post-wicket celebratory run. Yet, more than the physical resemblance-which is fine-it's his mix of energy and introspection that ultimately anchors this film.

Outwardly, his Kapil is great fun, both on-field and in the jolly downtime between matches. But we also see the other side to this captain. Told to address his team for the first time, Kapil hesitates, saying seven of them are his seniors. His faltering English-initially just a comic track-becomes an important plot point in the story. The film could have gone with either: master strategist or a nervous lad. Ranveer, though, gives us both.

The fun kicks in with the Indian side struggling in the group matches. They're an odd, funny bunch-giggling around the Queen, pulling pranks on each other. We begin to see them as types: Srikkanth (Jiiva), the chain-smoking charmer; Yashpal Sharma (Jatin Sarna), the resident hothead; Roger Binny (Nishant Dahiya), the brood. Gradually, though, a more complex dynamic emerges. Following a misunderstanding with Kapil, Sunny (Tahir Raj Bhasin) drops out of a match.

He recovers and comes around, as do other players in a fix. It's a fine way to introduce new setbacks without interrupting the narrative flow. But it lacks wit. Why would Balwinder Sandhu (Ammy Virk), facing a personal crisis before an important game, be so simpleminded as to be lectured by Kapil, who is three years his junior?

Perhaps the in-team excitement is necessary. This film, after all, shuns a clear antagonist. The West Indies squad-represented by the formidable duo of Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards-is portrayed with swagger and verve.

Kapil even talks highly of the defending champs, in a scene that acknowledges the colonial ties between the teams. Yet this sportsmanship isn't reflected off-field. A West Indies supporter is shown as a cruel heckler during a match. And when India beats out England in the semis, it's those sour Brits who start a fight. 

Kabir parallels these events with scenes from home. Indians in the early 80s weren't as cricket-crazy as they are today. However, two initial wins-followed by Kapil's smashing at Tunbridge Wells-gets them watching. This is where 83 is at its most wishful.

We're shown soldiers braving enemy shelling to listen to radio commentary, a Muslim family opening the door to riot police. Kabir and his writers (Sanjay Puran Singh, Vasan Bala, Sumit Arora) pump up the emotions to a fever pitch. The song Lehra Do is the cinematic equivalent of a doosra spin. It is bound to get you in the feels, the most battered spot in a Kabir Khan film.

83 isn't the sharpest of sports spectacles. Its insistence on detail and technique is soon replaced by high drama. The delectable dryness of 80s cricket is majorly missed in the film. What's undeniable, though, is the occasional smartness of the writing. Kapil refers to his mongoose bat as his 'talvar', an apt metaphor for the bat's design as well as the battle at hand. 

Early on in the film, we see him drop a catch-fans of the 1983 finale can wink at what this means. These devices animate the film better than the soundtrack (or Boman Irani's tension-dissipating commentary). Deepika Padukone's cameo has been teased enough to pack any surprises. There are other cameos, real and fictional, to please fans. Kabir's ALL CAPS filmmaking is at full force in 83. 

I watched it with other journalists, and there were teary eyes all around. The moment was best summed up by Mohinder Amarnath (Saqib Saleem) on screen. " Kisi ko bolio mat main ro raha tha ," he tells Kapil at one point."Don't tell anyone I was crying."

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Deepika Padukone, Boman Irani

Director: Kabir Khan

Rating: 3/5

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Kareena Kapoor’s The Buckingham Murders Movie Review: Engaging film on bereaved parents

Immersive, engaging and edgy, Hansal Mehta’s directorial and Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer The Buckingham Murders is a must watch not only for bereaved parents, but for all. The sharp silence of the film makes it all the more gripping. read more

Language: English, Hindi

Director:  Hansal Mehta

Cast:  Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Ranveer Brar, Daniel Eghan, Rukku Nahar, Keith Allen

‘May no parent ever have to outlive their child’. In fact, this is the saddest and the darkest thing that can happen in any human being’s life. Hansal Mehta’s The Buckingham Murders film shows how Jass Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is dealing with the grief of losing his son. There is something really special to this slow-burn crime thriller which one shouldn’t miss.

The film starts with Jass (Kareena Kapoor Khan) going on transfer to some other city in the UK because the house where she lives and the city has memories of her baby son whom she lost recently in a gun shootout by a fanatic. Though she got justice and the man was caught, but that is not going to bring back her child.

Everybody has a different way of dealing with grief and so does British Indian detective Jass Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and she has beautifully depicted it just through the expressions of her eyes. Immersive, engaging and edgy, The Buckingham Murders is a must watch not only for bereaved parents, but for all.

The story goes this way Jasmeet Bhamra aka Jas, (Kareena Kapoor Khan) has to solve a murder mystery British town even though she is not in the good state of her mind after losing her only son. The wounds are deep and fresh. She is struggling to cope with her mental state. It’s a complicated case and it’s about a missing child. Though she insists to her boss that she is not in the right frame of mind to deal with this situation and to solve the case, her boss insists that life has to go on and that duty comes first.

The Buckingham Murders is not only murder mystery, but deals with several issues like immigration problem, communal disharmony, teenage problems, drug abuse and LGBTQ issues. I have huge respect for Hansal Mehta’s craft for bringing out the best in all actors and his way of dealing with issues that are closer to our hearts.

Kareena Kapoor Khan film The Buckingham Murders teaches us that we shouldn’t hurry with justice especially when there are kids involved. We all know that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. But at the same time we need to understand that ‘justice hurried is justice buried’. And that’s exactly what the film is about. When a Sikh boy goes missing from a British town, a Muslim boy becomes the prime accused. But is the Muslim boy actually the culprit or is it someone from the family?

Haunted by the loss of her only son, forty-something single mother, Jass Bhamra (Kareena Kapoor Khan) has no other option but to continue with her duty. She immerses herself into work, yet the snap shots of her son comes flashing in front of her eyes like moody mirages. She is a strong believer of stoic philosophy where she suppresses her emotions. Instead of sharing it with others, she believes in crying herself to sleep. Though occasionally she does have her emotional out bursts, but she is mostly calm. Her father is an only support and the old man too tries his best to spend as much time as he can with his daughter who is going through a terrible emotional turmoil.

Jass Bhamra’s (Kareena Kapoor Khan) grief is very personal and she doesn’t expect others to understand or empathize with her.  All she wants is for the people around him to be sensitive when it comes to kid issues and especially when she is handling a complex case which involves kids, she believes that one needs to be all the more careful and that no kid should suffer for a crime he hasn’t done.

The best thing about the film is that there is no unnecessary shouting or drama, there is sharp silence which is like a knife making a deep wound and that is what makes The Buckingham Murders movie all the more gripping. The film has also garnered tremendous appreciation at the BFI London Film Festival 2023 and the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival, with people speaking highly of the film.

The Buckingham Murders is releasing in theatres on 13 September 2024.

Rating: 4 out of 5

WATCH the trailer of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s  The Buckingham Murders   here:

Lachmi Deb Roy is the entertainment editor of Firtspost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes huge interest in world cinema. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until its a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too. see more

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Kareena Kapoor Khan’s The Buckingham Murders First Review: Immersive, engaging and edgy

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon. With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon. With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

• Nicholas Meyer
• Gene Roddenberry
• Jack B. Sowards
• Harve Bennett
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 466 User reviews
• 141 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore
• 3 wins & 9 nominations

Top cast 57

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Did you know

• Trivia The famous "Space, the final frontier" monologue is heard for the first time since Star Trek (1966) , now narrated by Leonard Nimoy , however this has been changed slightly. Instead of saying, "...its five-year mission..." and "to seek out new life," this now says, "her ongoing mission..." and "to seek out new lifeforms".
• Goofs Chekov and Khan recall having met each other. Although Chekov was not a bridge officer when Khan came on the Enterprise in Space Seed (1967) , it should be remembered that when Khan first took over Enterprise, he started with the engineering deck. Chekov was engineering ensign at the time, and mounted resistance against Khan, according to the movie's novelization. Surprisingly, Sulu was also absent from Space Seed, a point which no one ever brings up.

Kirk : We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.

• Crazy credits After the opening credits: "In the 23rd century..."
• Expanded conversation between Kirk and McCoy in Kirk's apartment about his birthday gift, the glasses. Also, McCoy now says "For most patients your age, I'd usually administer Retinax Five." This is an alternate take, since in the theatrical version, he says "recommend" instead of "administer" (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• Conversation between Kirk and Midshipman Preston in the Enterprise's engine room, with Scotty revealing that Preston is his nephew. Also, the take at the scene's ending with Kirk addressing Scotty and McCoy asking "Admiral, what about the rest of the inspection?" is different from the one seen in the theatrical version. Kirk's dialogue is also slightly different (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• The scene where Chekov informs Dr. Marcus and her team about their new orders via compic has been expanded. Carol Marcus now asks "Who gave the order", and the mind controlled Chekov dances around the answer a little before David says, "Pin him down, mother." (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• The scene where the scientists at Regula One argue about Starfleet Command's order is a different take, and has been expanded in the ending to show Carol Marcus ordering everyone to pack their things up so they can depart before the Reliant arrives (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• McCoy and Spock's argument about Genesis in Kirk's cabin has been slightly expanded. They discuss what might happen if Genesis fell into the wrong hands, and whose hands are the right ones. Kirk attempts to break the two up, but Spock cuts him off with a comeback to McCoy (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• Preston's death in Sickbay has been expanded. Preston now says "Aye" and dies in close-up (instead of in the medium shot with Preston's back to the camera and the others visible around the table seen in the theatrical version) Scotty asks why Khan wants revenge. McCoy's line, "I'm sorry, Scotty" now comes in the middle of the scene, instead of in the ending. After Spock informs Kirk via intercom that impulse power is restored, McCoy and Kirk speak a little longer, and Kirk says they only survived because he knew something Khan didn't about starships (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• An added shot of Kirk, Spock and Saavik climbing a ladder between decks has been added, in which Kirk says "That young man, he's my son," and Spock replies, "Fascinating." Also, the music in the scene has been looped to account for this added shot, but it loops at an earlier point than in the ABC-TV version. This makes the music flow better, instead of repeating the same bit of music twice in succession. For the 2016 Director's Cut Blu-Ray edition, the shot is included but the dialogue is omitted.
• An extension occurs as the Enterprise approaches the Mutara Nebula. Saavik wonders if the Reliant will follow them in, and Spock states that he must remember to teach her about the human ego. The music is looped at a different point than in the ABC-TV version to accommodate this extension, and it is thus much less distracting.
• Connections Edited from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 466

• SilentJerry
• Jul 1, 2002
• When Spock and Saavik converse early in the film, what (modern earth) language do they actually speak?
• Why is the actor Judson Scott, who played a substantial role as Joachim in this film, not listed in the closing credits?
• How did Khan and crew actually take over the Reliant? One minute they're shoving eels down Chekov and Terrell's ears - the next they're on the bridge of the Reliant sporting trophy uniforms and in command of the ship.
• June 4, 1982 (United States)
• United States
• Viaje a las estrellas II: La ira de Khan
• Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $11,200,000 (estimated)
• $79,707,906
• $14,347,221
• Jun 6, 1982
• $79,822,604

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 53 minutes

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‘Dunki’ Review: Shah Rukh Khan Scores 2023 Hat-Trick with Heavy-Handed Immigration Drama

Proma khosla.

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The immigrant dream might be Western civilization’s greatest export. Since the days of colonialism and long since, people all over the world dream of moving to the U.K., Europe, or U.S. to start a new life and change their family’s legacy.

All of this comes to light in Rajkumari Hirani’s “Dunki,” a story ostensibly about the treacherous trek across nations, but more intriguingly about the dream dangled at the end of those treks — and whether it’s a dream at all, but a lie. Related Stories ‘Riff Raff’ Review: A Copy of a Copy of a Copy of Better Films Praise the Lord, and Pass the A+ Cinemascore

The title “Dunki” refers to “donkey-flights,” or the practice of people migrating without documentation from one country to another, risking deportation and death every step of the way. As the opening and closing title cards stress, borders and visas penalize the poor. “Dunki” begins in the present, when Manu (Taapsee Pannu), Balli (Anil Grover), and Buggu (Vikram Kochchar) are graying with age in London but desperate to go back home to Punjab. They can’t get visas, so they seek out the help of Hardy ( Shah Rukh Khan ), who helped them make the perilous trek from India 25 years ago.

“Dunki” marks Shah Rukh Khan’s third major release of 2023, following January’s “Pathaan” and September’s “Jawan,” after five years not leading a feature — and likely another box office win (though it’s tracking behind Prabhas’ “Salaar” in the U.S. and parts of India). Hirani’s last three films broke existing records for the highest-grossing Indian film , and even if “Dunki” doesn’t, the actor-director combination alone guarantees a baseline profit.

Where the film clearly thrives is during the first act in India, which showcases the friends’ daily struggles and intimate chemistry back in 1995 (as well as a classic bumbling teacher played by Boman Irani). This also happens to be the section featuring Vicky Kaushal, who gives the film’s best performance and does better than anyone else at threading the needle between zany gags and frankly graphic drama. He also happens to be billed as a “special appearance,” which means his screen time has an expiration — and those familiar with how Hirani resolves grave conflicts will see a version of the end coming from a mile away. It’s a completely dispensable arc that would have cut 30 minutes, or freed that time up to strengthen countless subplots and tertiary characters introduced arbitrarily for the dunki itself.

This is Khan’s first Hirani film, but in line with his recent position to make films with political messaging alongside popcorn entertainment (“Jawan” included the actor talking directly into camera and telling people to vote). When he’s not de-aged by makeup, prosthetics, or CGI (or some combination of the three), Khan is as earnest and invigorated as ever. He jumps higher than any other dancer in “Lutt Putt Gaya,” (the film’s only traditional song) and his character becomes the group’s de facto leader. When Khan says that the British didn’t need visas to colonize India, or that birds don’t need them to migrate in winter, you listen — you might laugh, but you listen, and you want to stand up and fight with him. The film is peppered with his filmography — from the explicit imagery invoking “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” “Veer-Zaara,” and “Main Hoon Na” to shades of Aman’s heroism in “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” Om’s passion in “Om Shanti Om,” and thematic fabric from “Swades” (I also counted references to “Fauji,” “Chamatkar,” and “Ram Jaane,” but those could be coincidence).

In the end, “Dunki” undermines its own messaging, sandwiching a series of informative cards about donkey flights between a rushed conclusion and comedic coda. Hirani’s films are mostly marketed and memorialized as comedies, glossing over the violence and suicide as well as dramatic subject matter (a wider trend in Indian cinema — the reception of “Simmba” comes to mind). “Dunki” is far from the best film about its chosen topic, but with global reach comes great responsibility.

“Dunki” is now playing in select theaters.

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Movie Review | 'My Name Is Khan'

A Hero Begins His Quest, and Then the Trouble Starts

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By Rachel Saltz

• Feb. 12, 2010

The message of “My Name Is Khan,” an effective exercise in Bollywood high emotionalism, is less political than movie-ish: there are two kinds of people in the world, good and bad, a distinction more important than any other differences, like those between Hindus and Muslims.

All is not well when the film begins, with the Muslim hero, Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), roughly searched at the San Francisco airport. (His mantra, “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist,” spooks the guards.) But, like most Hindi movies, it ends well, with the election of a black American president, presented as a moment of hope and triumphal healing. The world may be an ugly place, but in the words of a song heard throughout the movie, “We Shall Overcome.”

At its best “My Name Is Khan,” set mainly in America, is an affecting fairy tale about the perils of goodness. Rizvan, a kind of holy fool played mostly with restraint by Mr. Khan, has Asperger’s syndrome. His condition makes him a single-minded worker on the side of the angels, but it also gets him and his family into trouble: he cannot tell a lie, or keep his faith hidden. After 9/11 that’s dangerous for a man named Khan.

The film is propelled by a love story and a quest. Rizvan falls for and weds a divorced single mother, Mandira (Kajol Devgan, a frequent co-star of Mr. Khan), a Hindu who accepts his oddities even if by marrying him she seems to be taking on another child. (Then again the true Bollywood romance is the one between mothers and sons.) Rizvan, a kind of genius, may have trouble expressing emotions, but he has them, and with a copy of “Intercourse for Dumbos” gets through the wedding night. After her son becomes a victim of an anti-Muslim attack, Mandira throws Rizvan out, and he takes her command literally: go tell the president that your name is Khan and you’re not a terrorist.

He wanders in the desert and somehow lands in Georgia, providing the movie with its most improbable detour. A small black community takes him in and, later, when a Katrina-like flood hits the town, Rizvan proves that not only is he not a terrorist, but he is also the only man in America willing to help those in need.

“Khan” is one of a handful of Hindi films (“New York,” “Kurbaan”) about Indians living in a paranoid, post-9/11 America, and there’s something fascinating about looking at this country through a Bollywood lens, even when the story is a kind of fairy tale. (Most interesting here is the link made between black Americans and Indians, especially Muslims.) Skillfully directed by Karan Johar and with an evocative score by Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy, “Khan” jerks tears with ease, while teaching lessons about Islam and tolerance.

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Visfot movie review: Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan's drama implodes with done-to-death story

Visfot movie review: kookie gulati's drama, starring fardeen khan and riteish deshmukh, ends up as a whimper instead of a banging time at the movies..

Visfot movie review: Corrupt cops, gangsters, damsel in distress in love with one of the gangsters, lovemaking scenes, an encounter, the end – I have just described a random Sanjay Gupta film to you. And Visfot (which he has only produced), is no different. (Also Read – Call Me Bae review: Ananya Panday is pitch-perfect in her unapologetically breezy, decidedly sanitised series debut )

What's the story?

Kookie Gulati brings to us this directorial set in the slums of Mumbai (because filmmakers think this is the hub of all crimes, not cool). Shoaib Khan (played by Fardeen Khan ) is a man who wants to leave Dongri, but his friend Manya (Nachiket Purnapatre) leaves a jacket containing illegal substances in his car, and later comes back to retrieve it. Due to a fire at their house, his mother (Sheeba Chadha), suffering from dementia, misplaces it.

Another track runs parallel – Akash Shelar (Riteish Deshmukh) has caught his wife Tara (Priya Bapat) cheating on him. His son Paddy, meanwhile, is also missing from the café he had left him at, as he chases his wife. The two lives converge due to both misplacing something, and that’s the rest of the story.

How does the film fare?

The cracks show early in Visfot (a remake of the 2012 Venezuelan film Rock! Paper! Scissors!, and written by Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal) when you already know what’s going to happen next. There’s no attempt made to be original, because the story follows the same pattern we wrote about in the beginning. One waits for some twist which is going to blow our minds, but there’s nothing here you haven’t seen before. The only good bit here is the casting, which again doesn’t get to rise above this boring screenplay. It is proof that only signing good actors minus a good script leads to a mess.

There is so much wasted potential. The extramarital affair track has been written so poorly that you feel bad for Riteish, who has proved himself as a consistent actor otherwise. In the midst of tensions running high, the dialogues boil down to ‘yeh mera bachcha hai’ ‘nahi hamara baccha hai’ ‘mera baccha kahaan hai?’ ‘Voh mera bhi beta hai!’… you get the drift. It’s all there in these scenes supposed to make you feel bad for this couple – the close-up shots, the breaking down – but there’s only so much that can make up for the amateur writing.

Casting Seema Biswas as a ruthless ganglord was a win in itself, because she’s convincing from the word go. As a viewer, I was eager to know her backstory, and that’s what defines a good actor. They make you feel for them, there’s a connect. Riteish is unfortunately not given a deserving role to dig his teeth into. Fardeen, who was supposed to make a full fledged comeback with this, is strictly average in Visfot. Khel Khel Mein, which released in August this year, is a shining example of how good content and smart writing can even elevate the impact of Fardeen’s performances. Please note that I write the ‘impact’ gets improved, not the performance itself.

Visfot, overall, ends up as a whimper instead of a banging time at the movies. It's streaming on JioCinema.

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Happy New Year

Expectations can be a burden, and “Happy New Year” is heavy laden: director Farah Khan and leading man Shahrukh Khan (no relation) have made two prior features, 2004’s “Main Hoon Na” and 2007’s “Om Shanti Om,” that fall anywhere between “a lot of fun” and “all-time classic” depending on whom one asks, and there are plenty of people one can ask, as both films were enormously popular. Not to mention, Farah’s choreography kept Shahrukh from falling off the top of a train in “Dil Se.” For Western audiences unfamiliar with these titles, suffice to say, this director-star duo’s reunion is A Very Big Deal. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve been developing, to some degree or other, “Happy New Year” for almost a decade.

While a compelling argument that expecting another “Om Shanti Om” or a work of similarly awe-inspiring scale is setting the bar unfairly high, even resetting all factors to neutral, “Happy New Year” would be a mysteriously sloppy piece of work. Its premise is a tantalizing one given the director’s immense skill as a choreographer and visual stylist and deft hand with comedy. The son of a convicted thief assembles a team to exact revenge against the sinister tycoon who framed the father by stealing a set of invaluable diamonds, which requires that the avengers enter a dance competition. The execution of that premise is extremely erratic; there are few movies in living memory that ricochet between shockingly offensive comic business and utterly disarming hilarity as drastically as this one.

It’s that mercurial aspect to the comedy that causes hesitation before branding it outright as homophobic or racist. There are mean-spirited straight male gay panic gags side by side with awkward  but clearly affectionate normalizing of gay desire. There are truly shocking moments of racism toward East Asians (including a “they all look alike” joke that, although scorned by another character on-screen, is still a “they all look alike” joke in 2014), side by side with a whole subplot about Shahrukh showing how progressive he is by being nice to a North Korean kid.

Almost the entire first half of the movie, until the intermission, is a bit of a disaster. The second half, featuring more dancing and the fruition of the heist plot, is a good deal more fun. The heist sequences are tensely staged, goofily over-the-top convolution in the spirit of “ Ocean's Eleven ” or Shahrukh Khan’s own “Don” remake and sequel, defying logic and even rational linearity at every turn, and quite fun. But it’s the dance sequences, featuring cortex-melting costume design and Farah Khan choreography—it’s not her best work, but even a slightly off-her-game Farah Khan towers over mere mortals—go a long way toward making the whole enterprise worthwhile.

That the sum total of the enterprise is “a bunch of movie stars goofing off and dancing a bit” shouldn’t serve entirely as a dismissal. Abshishek Bachchan is a surprising standout in a dual role as the villain’s layabout son—complete with blue contact lenses and a hilariously on-point American accent—and the out-of-control drunk the good guys recruit because he’s a dead ringer. Often a fatally stiff actor and atrocious dancer, Bachchan seems like someone opened his physical comedy valve here, giving his loosest, funniest performance in years, if not ever. And as for his dancing, well, the whole point is that the heroes are bad dancers here. Deepika Padukone’s role as the professional brought in to whip them into shape is lamentably small and undemanding; hiring a star of her caliber for a role this undemanding is overkill. But that’s one of “Happy New Year”’s principal reasons for being: everyone in the movie is a star.

This is not, to put it mildly, Shahrukh Khan operating at the peak of his powers. That Padukone quotes one of his better moments (a motivational speech he delivered to the girl’s field hockey team he coached in “Chak De! India”) with the genders flipped, before cutting to an annoyed reaction shot from SRK, says a lot about the movie as a whole. That and other callbacks to his previous glories merely highlight the degree to which he’s on autopilot for much of the film here. But, as with the director, even sub-peak SRK is better than most. Where this differs is that there are a bunch of other movie stars visibly trying a lot harder right there in the same scenes with him.

If “Happy New Year” inspires anyone to check out “Main Hoon Na” or “Om Shanti Om,” it will count as a success on that ground alone. On its own merits, it has some wildly fun dance sequences, some funny bits, and an impressive roster of mainstream Bollywood talent. It’s a shame that those positives can’t entirely outweigh the messy, lazy and dumb stuff that pads out the remainder of the running time.

Danny Bowes

Danny Bowes is a theatre and film critic for Salt Lake City Weekly whose work has appeared in Premiere, The Atlantic, Indiewire, Yahoo! Movies, and Tor.com. You can read more of his work on his blog .

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Fanney Khan Reviews

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A weak script with some directing inconsistencies, Fanney Khan had room to be an enjoyable comedy or satire. Instead it careened towards over-the-top melodrama with debatable messaging.

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The story isn't plausible, which is not an issue. For me the stumbling block was the inconsistent tonality.

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Kapoor, unfortunately, is the only one convinced this is a legitimate movie.

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Fanney Khan has its affecting moments, nearly all of them stemming from Anil Kapoor's touching performance as the concerned father and the romance between the characters played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao.

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