Film My Name Is Khan May 2026

7.5/10 Recommendation: Recommended for students of film studies, diaspora studies, and those interested in mainstream cinema’s handling of political trauma.

| Character | Actor | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Shah Rukh Khan | A man with Asperger’s syndrome; deeply honest, literal-minded, and mechanically gifted. His condition makes him socially awkward but also morally pure and relentless. | | Mandira Khan | Kajol | A vibrant, independent hairstylist and Hindu divorcee. She represents the secular, modern face of America. Her love turns to grief-driven rage, then to guilt. | | Zakir Khan | Jimmy Shergill | Rizwan’s elder brother; a successful businessman who initially tries to shelter Rizwan but later distances himself out of fear of being targeted as a Muslim. | | Sameer | Yuvaan Makaar | Mandira’s young son; his death is the film’s emotional catalyst. | | President Barack Obama | Christopher B. Duncan | A cameo role; represents hope, justice, and the possibility of American ideals being restored. | film my name is khan

My Name Is Khan is a flawed but courageous film. It uses the framework of a Bollywood melodrama to pose a deeply human question: What does it mean to be a Muslim in post-9/11 America? While its solutions are idealistic, its diagnosis of fear, grief, and scapegoating remains sharp. The film endures not as a political treatise but as a character study of a man who, despite his disability, sees the world more clearly than those around him. Its central declaration—“My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist”—is a simple, powerful plea for the separation of an individual from a stereotype. For that alone, the film remains relevant. | | Mandira Khan | Kajol | A

A Critical Analysis of My Name Is Khan (2010): Disability, Islamophobia, and the Pursuit of Justice | | Zakir Khan | Jimmy Shergill |

The film follows Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome, who moves to San Francisco to live with his brother after his mother’s death. He falls in love with a Hindu single mother, Mandira (Kajol), and they build a happy life together. Their world is shattered by the 9/11 attacks, which trigger widespread Islamophobia. After a tragic misunderstanding leads to the death of Mandira’s son, she blames Rizwan and tells him to leave. Rizwan embarks on a cross-country journey to meet the President of the United States to declare, “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist,” seeking to clear his name and win back Mandira’s love.

My Name Is Khan is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Karan Johar, produced by Dharma Productions, and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The film marked a significant departure from Johar’s typical romantic melodramas, tackling heavy socio-political themes following the 9/11 attacks. This report provides an overview of the film’s plot, analyzes its key characters and themes, evaluates its cinematic techniques, and assesses its critical and cultural impact.