My Name Is Khan

About the film

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 the lead roles. The film narrates the fictional story in which Rizvan Khan (Khan), an autistic Muslim, sets out on a journey across the United States to meet the President after Mandira Rathod Khan (Kajol), his Hindu wife, suffers from Islamophobic discrimination following the September 11 attacks.

Johar began developing the film in 2007, seeking a departure from his previous romantic films; it is Johar's first directorial effort for which he did not contribute to the screenplay. Johar and Bathija extensively researched autism in preparation for the film, especially Asperger 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 acclaim for its subject matter, direction, music, screenplay, cinematography, performances, particularly of Khan, and social message. It grossed ₹223 crore (US$48.77 million) worldwide, becoming one of 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.

Cast and crew

My Name Is Khan was directed by Karan Johar and written by Shibani Bathija, and released in 2010.

The film features Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol in its principal cast.

Key details