Theirs was a storybook romance told against the shadow of a great American city, until a series of life-changing events threatened more than just their own happiness. Imagine what happens when a single act from a determined man seeking forgiveness and love lost can do to inspire the hearts and minds of a wounded nation.
In MY NAME IS KHAN, Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Devgan inhabit the most challenging roles of their careers. Rizvan Khan is an honorable Muslim man from India, living with Asperger's Syndrome, who falls unconditionally for the beautiful Mandira, a Hindu single mother living out her version of the global dream of success. Yet, when an unspeakable act of cowardice tears their family apart, Khan selflessly embarks on a powerful journey through a contemporary America that is as complex as the terrain of the human heart. He innocently becomes that most unlikely act of defiance, one of peace and compassion. He provides a sobering reality that touches the lives of every person he crosses. In the name of the woman he loves, a curious stranger will introduce himself to the world simply by saying, "My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist."
Directed and produced by acclaimed filmmaker Karan Johar, the screenplay is written by Johar and Shibani Bathija.

The Journey of a Khan
by Shah Rukh Khan
Courage is not always a roar that should be heard by the world. Sometimes it's a quiet whisper to yourself that says, "I will try again tomorrow."
In a world which is ever so busy looking for a hero, or creating one when it doesn't find it, MY NAME IS KHAN is a quiet inner voice that whispers, "To walk the right path, to find the answers, to save yourself and the world with it, you don't need to wear an exterior armor and fly." All you need is a gentle conscience telling you that the simple truths of life matter the most. The right and wrong is not a complex equation. It's just as simple as the coming of day after night, the sunrise after nightfall. So simple, that one might see KHAN as abnormal in today's world of overbearing and neurotic search for sanity.
It might seem odd to say that we created a superhero film. A hero who has Asperger's syndrome is a simpleton and all he has for a superpower is his humanity. That's what I truly believe my experience was in doing this film. That to be a hero all you need is the basic goodness of human beings, something so rare; we might believe that the protagonist of this film is from another world.
The journey through the eyes of this character that I so closely lived made me realize that you can be very special by being ordinary. The shooting of the film took us all around America (which was pleasant except for the cold in L.A) and I saw that the mainstay of the film - Islam and the Western World - has a surprisingly honest and balanced outlook amongst the Americans, especially all the crew that worked with us. They understood that in a war that was not started by either side, the lives being lost on both sides deserve equal empathy respect and regard. They understand too, as Plato wrote, "It is only the dead that have seen the end of war." The sooner we can stop this meaningless strife the happier our lives will be.
On a personal note, as an actor I am not very well honed in the art of subtlety and restraint but my friend and director Karan Johar has shown an immense amount of maturity not only in handling me, but this tricky subject as a whole. He is truly the hero of this film because he has been able to keep this complexity of Asperger's syndrome; the western world and Islamic strife. A love story is also woven between all this, so wonderfully simple and relatable, that really it seems of a different world. Through the making of the flood sequence to capturing this neuro-atypical character to spending beyond his means to make a film with a heart that is as big as his, I can only be thankful for being a small part of this journey.
Also a word for our distributors, Fox - we all could have lost heart halfway through this film if not for your encouragement by coming on board to make this film truly for every audience in the world. Thanks a ton, guys!
I pray to Allah that what we say through this narrative makes emotional sense to all. And, in our own way, makes us feel we helped in the steps towards sanity, normalcy, and simplicity that this world needs so much today. As Rizvan Khan would say:
"It's fixed and working now."

THE MAKING OF "MY NAME IS KHAN"
"It's an epic love story between two people who have a unique way of seeing the world"

Director/Screenwriter Karan Johar

THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Setting a dramatic epic in post-9/11 America is to be expected from a contemporary U.S. filmmaker. However, the ripple effect of this catastrophic event continues to transcend borders and ideologies, inspiring new works of art from the most unlikely of places. For Indian director Karan Johar, the inspiration behind MY NAME IS KHAN was a chance to bring a new perspective to a world that remains in the throes of cultural intolerance and misunderstandings.
Johar was keen in realizing this vision, a hybrid of the personal and epic, by framing it with the story of a cross-cultural Indian couple living in the States after the events of 9/11. They would deal with the social unrest faced by many Southeast Asians who were thoughtlessly generalized into being terrorists purely on the basis of their physical characteristics and cultural iconography. Even more, Johar himself wanted to understand the effects of how such a dynamic would cause Sikhs to deny their own religious identity for fear of persecution. However, in order to humanize such potent political themes, Johar sought to create a narrative thread that would result in drawing an audience into an entertainment of universal appeal and emotion.
"MY NAME IS KHAN at its core is an epic love story between two people who have a unique way of seeing the world," says Johar about the film. "What sets it apart is the landscape on which the story unfolds. I keep setting out to do something different with my films, but the one constant that remains is my desire to continue to explore the many ways in which two people can fall in love and stay in love regardless of any or every challenge against them."
Johar admits that he is drawn to stories that peel back the layers of a relationship, adult tales of compassion, commitment and devotion. For the 37 year-old Johar, it is "that special strength" contained within an individual that fuels one's quest to find their way back to center of what is real: each other. For the characters, like the audience, they must be transported through worlds that are supportive and nurturing to bitter and resentful in order to try and understand why people react to certain issues and situations. That is why his own journey through America proved a valuable resource in creating MY NAME IS KHAN, giving the central roles of Rizvan and Mandira a poignant truth.
"When you see Rizvan and Mandira share a tender moment," says Johar, "you understand how loaded it must be for both of them because their expressions of love are so different from what has been the norm so far in Hindi cinema."
During his travels in the States, Johar was often seated at dinner parties, engaged in discussion topics that were paramount amongst intellectual Indians living in New York. They passionately and painfully shared the plight experienced by their fellow countrymen in America. These were people who were not intellectuals, nor could they defend themselves against a rising tide of animosity and confusion set forth after the 9/11 attacks.
"I wondered what that kind of stress and fear would do to a Hindu-Muslim couple," says Johar. "Would the unrest outside creep into their homes and question the foundation of their marriage? Would the Hindu wife blame her Muslim husband for the questioning and sneering they would face because of a last name? The story of this couple and the ways in which their lives would have changed made me want to explore the social landscape of America through the eyes of an innocent couple caught up in the extremities of politics and propaganda."
As Johar ventured through the United States, the Mumbai-native met with local Muslim organizations that were willing to recount tales of harassment they faced not only in major cities, but also in the smallest of small towns.
"When I met with these people," recalls Johar, "who could tell me first hand what it felt like to have stones and bottles thrown at their mosques, their businesses vandalized, and their kids bullied at school, a voice inside of me was screaming, 'But don't these people, highly educated Americans, understand that you can't categorize an entire continent based on the horrendous actions of a handful of people?' Eventually you realize that they can't understand it because no one will show it to them. It was then that I realized that the story of this couple can have the deepest impact if someone sacrificed something to get across the message of tolerance to a confused and wounded nation."

WHO IS KHAN: Creating an Unconventional Hero
Upon his return from the States, Johar turned to screenwriter Shibani Bathija, who had collaborated with the director on his previous film, "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Never Say Goodbye)." Bathija was thrilled at the chance to tell a different kind of love story, embracing the challenge with fervor.
"Karan's strength as a storyteller," says Bathija, "is his ability to understand and see relationships in the way that most of us overlook. In a room, Karan will observe certain dynamics keenly. If his subjects are people he doesn't know, he'll come up with his own back-story for him. His films have depicted love and companionship as simply as you possibly can without diluting the complexities and struggles that couples face today at home and abroad. With MY NAME IS KHAN, we wanted to depart from the story of the quintessential Indian film hero and instead tell the story of a man, of a couple, who are set apart from the rest of us for a reason."Read more

KHAN IS KHAN: Casting the Film
As MY NAME IS KHAN went into the casting process, Johar turned to the actor who has staked an indelible presence in all his films, Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan. Portraying Rizvan would be a marked departure for the iconic actor, an artist primarily known for being at the center of blockbuster events. Yet, it was the role's restraint and patience that proved irresistible for these longtime friends and collaborators.
"I've watched Shah Rukh's career and skills as an actor from very close quarters," says Johar. "I've seen him completely monopolize every genre of cinema and truly excel at it. He is the superstar to more than a billion people because Shah Rukh Khan won't rest until he has entertained you to your bone. With a career that keeps growing with successes, you tend to stop and ask, 'Now that he's played every conceivable kind of hero the Indian film industry has had to offer, where will he go from here?' The challenges an actor needs in the prime of his career need to be coupled with a certain maturity and insight you can only attain once you've fulfilled certain expectations."  Read more

BRINGING "KHAN" TO LIFE: About the Production Team
Despite MY NAME IS KHAN being Johar's fourth film, his reputation played a key role his ability to gather an award-winning creative team. Eager to bring on board the best talents, Karan sought out artists and technicians whose individual voices spoke loudly and confidently. Ace cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran's initial strategy was to establish a sophisticated aesthetic and texture to the photography of MY NAME IS KHAN. At its core, the film is a road epic, traveling a distinctly rural America, which is a rare sight in Indian films. Rizvan's clear-eyed perspective of living in a foreign world offered tremendous visual opportunities to enhance the powerful statements made by MY NAME IS KHAN.  Read more

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

KARAN JOHAR (Director/Producer) has achieved great acclaim for bringing a fresh and modern outlook to Hindi commercial cinema. Johar made his directorial debut at age 25 with "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" in 1998, a landmark box office smash that garnered international attention.
It was Johar's successful contribution to Aditya Chopra's "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" that would inspire the young filmmaker to write the award-winning "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai." During this early period, Johar assisted his father Yash Johar in his production of "Duplicate," as well as working on Yash Chopra's "Dil To Pagal Hai" as costumer to the film's star, none other than Shah Rukh Khan.
Following the blockbuster release of "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai," Johar followed up with the opulent epic "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" in 2001. The film broke box office records in and out of India, as well as becoming the first Indian film to enter the US box office Top 10.
In 2004, Johar's wrote the hit "Kal Ho Naa," then returned to directing in 2006 with "Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna." Also an international box office success, the film found him following a new artistic direction, chronicling themes of marriage, commitment and infidelity.
Among Johar's film awards are the prestigious Filmfare prizes for Direction, Screenplay and Dialogue, the IIFA (Story), the Sansui Viewer's Choice (Director, Screenplay, Story) and the Screen Awards (Director, Screenplay and Story).Cited for being one of the most influential artists of his generation, Johar was chosen as one of 250 Global Young Leaders by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum in 2006. That year, he also joined several Indian luminaries in representing the country at the Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia and the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi. In 2008, Johar was invited to address the students of New York University and was one of the distinguished speakers at the 2008 "India @ 60 Charging Ahead" panel at the Harvard Business School.
Johar is on the board of NDTV's entertainment company, NDTV Imagine, where he works exclusively in the creation of new programming. Always seeking new challenges, Johar is committed to the pursuit of new mediums to express his creativity, craft and style.

SHIBANI BATHIJA (Screenplay) is best known for writing "Fanaa," which brought two of India's most sought after talents, Kajol and Aamir Khan, together for the first time. Following that film's major success, Bathija co-wrote "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna." However, it would be experiences of living in the United States that would lead her to create "My Name is Khan."
A student of Communications at San Francisco State University, Bathija wanted the unusual courtship of Khan and Mandira to reflect the vastly diverse culture and history she discovered in San Francisco. Bathija is at working on her next project, which she refers to as a "young" film for Studio 18, also set in San Francisco.

THE ART OF WORLD CINEMA

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