Shahrukh Khan to Meet Obama

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Just when you thought the fantastical movies churned out by the Bollywood film industry couldn’t get any stranger, Shahrukh Khan stars in My Name is Khan. The movie, directed by Karan Johar (and starring Kajol, naturally), is set to be released this winter and casts Khan as a Muslim man with Asperger syndrome who comes to post-9-11 America only to be detained by authorities for suspicious behavior. Oh yeah, and then he goes on a quest to meet President Barack Obama (played by Christopher B. Duncan from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) in the hopes of clearing his name.

FOXSTAR would market and distribute the film in India while Fox Searchlight Pictures, which marketed and distributed the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire in the US, will release the film in United States. Slumdog Millionaire was a global success and also swept the Oscars this year. So, SRK fans could expect an Oscar for the Badshah of Bollywood too with My Name is Khan. “I’ve been waiting for my Oscar for 10 years,” said SRK. The film, which has been co-produced by Khan and Johar, examines how a life of a Muslim man from India, living in San Francisco, embarks on a remarkable journey across the United States and inspires people, inviting debate, creating an accidental revolution.

[Link.]

I’m very curious to see what the response will be to this movie, both in the U.S. and abroad. I like how the article assumes “SRK fans could expect an Oscar for the Badshah of Bollywood too with My Name is Khan.” Yes, because now that the great SRK has decided he wants an Oscar, by golly he will manage to get one even if it takes a quest to the White House to do it.

On a side-note, anyone else seeing a little Khuda Kay Liye, a smidgen of Slumdog Millionaire (with Obama as Latika) and some Taare Zameen Par (which highlights issues of dyslexia) in the plot?

68 thoughts on “Shahrukh Khan to Meet Obama

  1. “Swades a masala film? That is one of few the decent movies he’s acted in. None of the usual annoying mannerisms, no scene stealing, and a great theme, utterly realistic.”

    OK, I don’t know if masala film is correct, but how about “typical Bollywood” style film. And while I enjoyed it (especially yun hi chala, I love that song!) I wouldn’t call it utterly realistic… if only village life was so romantic and clean, which happy ex-nannies living in big houses with people who love her… while well educated youngsters come back to teach in the village, completely undaunted by giving up the technology and exciting city life.

  2. I will have to look for Maya Membsahib… haven’t seen it!

    I have seen paheli though.. that is till kind of a typical “big budget” seeming movie to me…

  3. “But the anchor’s patronising attitude truly came out when he mockingly offered a prize to viewers who could say “Venkatesh Warlu Putta” five times without faltering.”

    Don’t you know the Bollywood hypothesis

    Punjab=India Punjabi=Indian Culture South Indians=Madrasis, Tamil ingrates. North Easterners=Dog Eaters (just watch Tango Charlie)

    I remember Shahrukh hosting an award show in which some southie dude from the audience comes up on stage. The King of Bollywood asks him his ethnicity “Andhra” and goes into a puerile frenzy: “Ingadd Pingadd….” dude: “What?”.. “Just joking”.. all this on stage and television. Pathetic.

  4. Bollywood is for the new money elite, the kind who got rich quickly with the land boom and want to force their brash values upon the more debonair professional classes. Indians with taste can never take this drama seriously. Movie projects like these make them laugh, because they expose the philistine ideation process and the mutual backscratching that drives the engines behind the scenes. So since Hollywood got cracking with the brazen theft of intellectual property these Bollywood types will now rip – gasp – Pakistani movies? Sorry but this sounds like another expensive bastardization of ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ starring the egotist Badshah of the frog in the well, anti-intellectual movement.

  5. If this movie is filled with song and dance routines, then it will be unwatchable for most Americans.

    I’d much rather watch Nandita Das’ Firaaq.

  6. This is going to be a laughable pile of crap. Johar is the most stupid, cack handed director in an industry that takes infantilism, pathologically sentimentalism, the emotional acting range of an 8 year old child as the norm, treating viewers like morons. Imagine this abomination of cinema directing a movie with these serious themes. It boggles the mind. It might also panders to ‘America is a big bad wolf’ prejudice, which never stops him making as many movies in the USA as he can. Oh yeah, and the autism, just throw that in as well, why don’t ya, a pinch of Rainman for Gods sake. Just to make sure we know he’s a victimised, sensitive character.

    Sometimes I just want to burn Bollywood to the ground.

  7. Well Shah Rukh was detained at Newark airport. How ironical is that? And it was supposedly because his name was Khan. No news on whether he did get to meet Barack. Wow! Is this a movie or a current affairs bulletin? Watch Kaminey, btw. It is excellent.

  8. hey guys i ve been trying to figure this out r u trying to say good stuff or bad????????? well,u can only expect good for SRKing from me he is the best actor on earth right now The posters look awesome and im eagrly waiting for this movie its gonna be the best and i think Deserved an oscar for many movies which include Devdas,Chack De,Veer Zara,ect. This movie will surly get at least a couple of oscars and yes SRKing doesnt need oscar to prove himself a good actor he is great SRKING ROCKS he is THE BEST ACTOR IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!! if u do not agree with my comments the u need a brain that can figure out the difference btwn good and bad acters

  9. Shah Rukh you rock and your the BEST! We will always love you! Your fans are always

    a 100% behind you to support you. SRK is the most down-to-earth personality you will ever meet! Always humble and

    gracious, always welcoming and giving warmth, always caring for others. He has also

    earned the love of his fans and that is why he is so loved. Wherever he goes people

    are always there to show their love for him.

  10. i wholeheartedly pray for srk to win the oscar for my name is khan in shaallah he really deserve it

  11. This Movie will either be too Great Cuz SRK says it is special

    Or

    It’ll be full of shit cuz Karan Johar is the Director

    I hope it gets an Oscar

  12. khan is a muslim sirname so i think that film is along with muslim so every muslim should be seen this movie thankyou shahrukh khan