I came into this movie with high expectations. As a child growing up in the US during the 2000s, I witnessed firsthand the country-wide anti-Islam movement that proceeded 9/11. Here was a movie that sets out to demonstrate that not all Muslims are bad people. Which I wholeheartedly agree with. However, I feel the makers of this movie weren't very creative or original in telling this fictional story.

The protagonist, Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan) is an Indian man of Muslim faith who has Asperger's syndrome. He has immigrated to San Francisco (pre-9/11) in hopes of a better life. After September 11, he and his family experience the backlash of the consequential anti-Muslim sentiments throughout the country. Khan sets out to meet the president and tell him he is not a terrorist.

Khan bears resemblance to the character Forrest Gump. In fact, many parts of this movie feel borrowed from the movie Forrest Gump. Khan travels a lot in his pursuit to meet the president. While Khan never accomplishes anything quite as farfetched as Forrest, the filmmakers are overly optimistic about what Khan is able to do, making him out to be an "unlikely hero" much like Forrest.

One of the things I really disagree with about this movie is the "black and white" classification of people. Khan's mom teaches him as a kid that there are "good people" and "bad people" in the world. This simply isn't true. Good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things.

To take things a step further, this "black and white" dichotomy is reflected in race in this movie. White people in general are shown as racists. This is taken to the extreme in the cringeworthy scenes of Khan dealing with authority figures, where we as the audience are supposed to feel bad for Khan for being discriminated against and abused by white officials.

Black people and people of color in general, on the other hand, are shown as angels who have never done anything bad in their lives. I understand that Black people in the US have historically been marginalized by society. Khan's solidarity with the Black community at the end of the movie is symbolic of how the Muslim community also became marginalized after 9/11. However, the way Black people are displayed is very stereotypical and one-dimensional.

Khan's relationship with his wife Mandira (played by Kajol) feels forced. At no point is Mandira, a strong female character, explored. Her backstory is only ever briefly alluded to. She and Khan fall in love way too quickly. She just serves as Khan's "love at first sight" stereotypical romantic interest who worries about him because of his disability.

In conclusion, this movie fell way short of my expectations. It was way too long, not to mention overly optimistic and farfetched. It may be one of the most predictable movies I've ever seen. I saw the ending coming a mile away. It isn't fair in making white people out as villains to prove the point that not all Muslims are bad people. Perhaps really the only thing I like about this movie is the Bollywood-style music. As a white person, I don't know what it feels like to be a Muslim in the US in a post-9/11 world. But I feel this movie completely blows things out of proportion.