My Name Is Khan

My Name Is Khan is a 2010 drama film directed by Karan Johar and co-written by Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles. The film narrates a fictional story where Rizwan Khan (Khan), an autistic Muslim, sets out on a journey across the United States to meet the President after Mandira Rathod (Kajol), his Hindu wife, suffers from Islamophobic discrimination after the September 11 attacks. Johar began developing the film by 2007, seeking a departure from his previous romantic films; it is Johar's first directorial effort where he did not contribute to the screenplay. Johar and Bathija extensively researched autism in preparation for the film, especially Asperger's syndrome, as well as Islam. The film was co-produced by Johar's mother, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Khan's wife, Gauri Khan, under their respective production companies Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment. Khan and Kajol's involvement was confirmed by May 2008, with the remainder of the cast rounded out by January 2009. Principal photography began in December 2008 and lasted until October 2009, with filming locations including Los Angeles, Mumbai, and San Francisco. The film's soundtrack was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. My Name Is Khan first premiered in the United Arab Emirates on 10 February 2010 and was theatrically released worldwide two days later by 20th Century Fox. It received widespread critical acclaim for its subject matter, direction, music, screenplay, cinematography, performances (with particular praise directed towards Khan and Kajol) and the social message. It grossed worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2010 and the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2010. It received numerous awards and nominations, including three wins at the 56th Filmfare Awards. It is used as a scholarly case study for its cinematic portrayal of autism and Islamophobia. Plot Rizwan Khan, a Muslim, grew up with his brother, Zakir, and his widowed mother, Razia, in a middle-class family in Borivali, Mumbai. His autism leads to special tutoring from a reclusive scholar and extra attention from his mother, all of which leads to a heightened level of jealousy from Zakir, who eventually leaves his family for a life in San Francisco. Despite this, Zakir sponsors Rizwan to come and live with him after their mother's death. Zakir's wife Haseena diagnoses Rizwan as having Asperger syndrome. Rizwan also begins to work for Zakir.