K Jo’s Oscar attempt

By now everyone is probably aware that Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par is India’s official entry for this year’s Oscars. Walt Disney has acquired the DVD rights for this movie, the first ever for any Indian movie. This might have been the first time Aamir tried his hand at directing, but then again most things that Aamir touches turn into gold.

Karan Johar on the other hand has been directing a different kind of successful film. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna have not won international accolades but they have been crowd-pleasers back home. It could be Karan’s amazing directorial ability that made these movies what they are or it could just be Shah Rukh Khan. But now Karan is older, wiser and ready for his Oscar (or at least nomination). He says that venturing into new territory and tapping into the right tone is a challenge he looks forward to taking on.

My Name is Khan, his latest venture, has SRK in the lead (obviously) playing Rizvan Khan. The protagonist in the film suffers from Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Shibani Bhatija, the screenplay writer of the film, has researched this disorder very accurately. Poor thing Shah Rukh is going to be portraying it, she needn’t have made such an effort. The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity.

Unlike dyslexia, a learning disorder related to reading and spelling which has no physical symptoms, people affected with Aspergers display physical clumsiness and an atypical use of language. Shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for Shah Rukh.

So far, this does sound like a unique venture for K Jo and SRK. But they’ve forgotten a very crucial element which is what made Taare Zameen Par. A cute eight-year-old kid.